Earth Day Shinto

Earth Day celebrations on April 22 this year were sadly overshadowed by the Corona crisis. The news and social media were dominated by the virus, and ecological concerns were pushed aside.

However, one Shinto shrine that bucked the trend showed itself to be a progressive force in terms of environmental concerns – the Shinto Shrine of Shusse Inari in America. It has featured before on Green Shinto, and we’re delighted to highlight the shrine here again. For Earth Day the Shusse Inari’s youtube channel carried a live recording of a special ceremony held for Mother Earth, together with publication of an entirely ‘green’ reading of what Shinto represents (see below).

Both thumbs up from Green Shinto for pioneering priestess Izumi Hasegawa, who has set up a branch shrine in Los Angeles of the shrine in Matsue run by her family for generations.

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Izumi Hasegawa writes: Shinto is a mindset and way of living with respect for nature, living things and our ancestors, and it has long been recognized as Japan’s cultural root. Unlike Buddhism, Christianity, or other religions, Shinto has no holy texts, and there is no individual founder. It is said that Shinto has been practiced for more than 2,000 years.
　One of the most important elements of Shinto is paying respect and seeking harmony between people and nature, among our families, communities, and the world. In today’s society, the need to strive for these goals has become more apparent than ever before.
　We hold various events introducing the traditional Japanese eco-conscious way of life so that future generations can enjoy nature as we do. Details about Shinto and these events can be found on our Newsletter, website, and social media. Please come and enjoy our events!!
Passing along eco-conscious traditions to the next generation.