As we approach the mid-winter solstice, it is worth thinking again about Shinto’s sacred tree – sakaki. In a previous posting I put forward a theory regarding the linguistic signficance of sakaki. Now I have settled on a different rationale.… Read the rest
The reverence for nature undoubtedly underlies the appeal of Shinto, though it is a mistake to think there is nothing more to the religion. Nonetheless that is the part which is often assumed by some outside … Read the rest
Today being Easter Sunday inevitably leads to thoughts of death and rebirth, and Japan’s cherry blossom season is an annual reminder of nature’s power to renew itself. Of all Kyoto’s many shrines, none is so prominent at this time of … Read the rest
The following is couched in academic terms but is highly relevant to the purpose of Green Shinto as it concerns sacred trees, spirituality and the environment. It is a call for papers for a workshop to be held in France, … Read the rest
In the section below of Isabella Bird’s account of the Ainu (Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, p. 275), she deals with the most famous aspect of the religion – the cult of the bear. Most people today think of … Read the rest
This is the second part of a series based around the writings of the remarkable Isabella Bird, who visited Japan in 1878. In Part One she is taken by some Ainu villagers to visit a hill shrine dedicated to Yoshitsune, … Read the rest
The Ainu religion dates back further than Shinto and has much in common. Indeed, it’s sometimes said that it was the basis from which Shinto developed. The similarities are at once apparent for the Ainu worshipped kamuy… Read the rest
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