Tag - shinto

 
 

SHINTO

Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 12, 2014
Abe's base aims to restore past religious, patriotic values
As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promises voters a bright future for Japan's economy, key parts of his conservative base want him to steer the nation back toward a traditional ethos mixing Shinto myth, patriotism and pride in the ancient Imperial line.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 26, 2014
Seeking Japan's gods and nobles in roots, stone and moss
If you've had a hankering to go hiking with Shinto deities, why not try the Kumano Kodo trail in Wakayama Prefecture?
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Sep 19, 2014
Aichi mountains provide dramatic setting for terra-cotta amphitheater
In the mountains of Mihama, Aichi Prefecture, a curious art space is emerging. Ceramics artists Ximena Elgueda and Steven Ward are building "The Mountain Plaza," a terra-cotta amphitheater.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Jun 10, 2014
Blue-eyed Austrian finds calling at shrine
Walking through the torii, or gateway, to the quiet and serene Konnoh Hachimangu Shrine in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward — minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya's main "scramble crossing" — and being welcomed by a blond and blue-eyed Shinto priest seems almost surreal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 7, 2014
Iki Island: the stones and stories that keep paradise from floating away
Legend has it that many years ago the pretty little island of Iki was not connected to the seafloor. Instead, it floated around at the whim of the currents, presumably bobbing back and forth between Japan, China and the Korean Peninsula.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jan 17, 2014
Fortune, fame or betrayal? It's all in the omikuji
All Japanese shrines have omikuji (fortune-telling sticks) — just like all McDonald's have fries.
CULTURE
Jan 1, 2014
Lucky food, charming decorations and visiting deities: welcoming the new year with history and tradition
Wearing kimono, getting together with family and friends, and not working for the first three days of a new year. Shogatsu, or New Year's, is when Japanese generally work less than the rest of the world.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 23, 2013
Back to the future: Shinto's growing influence in politics
Immaculate and ramrod straight in a crisp, black suit, Japan's education minister, Hakubun Shimomura, speaks like a schoolteacher — slowly and deliberately.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 23, 2013
Resisting the historical deniers
Shin Kawashima recalls his heart sinking with the reelection of Shinzo Abe. A specialist in Asian diplomatic history at the University of Tokyo, Kawashima has spent years trying to narrow the gap between Japan and China's strikingly different interpretations of wartime history. The election could undo...
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 23, 2013
Re-engineering Shinto
Japan's ancient, indigenous religion, premodern Shinto, was considered one of the world's least dogmatic, laidback belief systems. Many of its earthy, animist rituals were tied to a love of nature and tradition, anchored around festivals and ceremonies honoring kami (gods) found in all aspects of life....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 16, 2013
Seeing where Shinto and Buddhism cross
"The number of Shinto shrines in Japan has changed over centuries due to various political and social changes. There were about 190,000 shrines during the early Meiji Era (1867-1912), before a drastic change came about in the merging of shrines and temples. The number of shrines was greatly reduced,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 28, 2013
A double dose of guidance offers more than usual information
SHINTO SHRINES: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion, by Joseph Cali with John Dougill. University of Hawaii Press, 2012, 328 pp., $24.99 (paperback)
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 23, 2013
LDP spurns merger plea by tiny Kokumin Shinto
The Liberal Democratic Party has rejected a proposal by Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) to merge and instead is demanding that the three-man opposition force disband and the lawmakers be considered individually for membership in the ruling party.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 3, 2011
'Tis the season for shrines and temples to rake it in
Come the new year, shrines and temples really cash in on a giving tradition.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’