The Japanese Shinto religion translates to mean “way of the gods” in Japanese and primarily focuses upon ancestors and nature, with practitioners believing that every aspect of the universe has a deity (e.g. rivers have a god, mountains have a god, soil has a god etc.) with ancestors believed to have created the world for the current generation living within it. Japanese architecture is an excellent example of Shintoism as Shinto shrines are left in a minimalist state of color and simplicity, unlike contemporary Chinese architecture which is highly colorful and decorative. Shinto shrines never depict imagery of deities as the wood of the architecture itself is representative of nature, and from that simplicity and minimalism. This is also because it is believed that so many gods exist within nature that it would be foolish to only highlight a few in particular. Practitioners of Shinto observe festivals and holidays but no particular day of prayer, unlike monotheistic religions (e.g. Sunday for Christianity, Friday for Islam and Judaism etc.). There is no mainstay scripture of morality or ethical system attached to Shintoism. In Shintoism, old shrines are dismantled and moved for new shrines to be erected every 20 years. The 3 main elements of Shintoism are the mirror, precious stones, and wood
Share This Interesting Fact: Iconic Japanese Artists and the Japanese Culture Which Developed Them: The Japanese Mythology of How the Earth Formulated, the Japanese Mythology of How Japan Formulated, the Traditional and Modern Day Name of “Japan”, Virtually Everything Possessing the Capability to Become Artwork Within Japanese Culture, the Volume of Land Within Japan Which is Uninhabited by Human Beings, the Number of Volcanoes Within Japan, How the Japanese Shinto (the Way of the Gods/Spirits) Religion Developed, the Concept of “Kami” (God/Spirit) Within the Shinto Faith, the Shinto Belief of Everything Possessing a Kami, the Japanese Concept of “Shinemawa” (Enclosing Rope), the Reason the Shinto Religion Does Not Produce Artwork, Natural Phenomena Which is Especially Prized Within Japanese Culture, the Daily Offering Provided to Kami by Shinto Priests, the Fluctuating Temperament of Kami, the Ornate Artwork of Netsuke (Small Intricately Carved Toggle Fastener), Japanese Artist Utagawa Harumitsu’s Cicada Work, the Detail Depicted Within Harumitsu’s Cicada Work, the Symbolic View of Cicadas Within Japanese Culture, Japanese Literature Referencing a Multitude of Disparate Insects and Japanese Residents Keeping Insects as Pets From the Heian Period (794 A.D. – 1185 A.D.) Until the Modern Day, the View of All Things Within Shintoism, the Shinto View of Equality and Nature, the Japanese Religion Which is Intrinsically Linked With Nature, the Japanese Buddhist View of Reincarnation, the Reason Japanese Buddhists Believe Reincarnation Can Come in Any Natural Form, the Japanese Religion Which Helped Produce Some of the Most Sophisticated and Iconic Landscape Art Forms World Wide, Zen Buddhism vs Traditional Monotheistic Religion, the Zen Buddhist View of Meditation and Daily Life Tasks, the Zen Buddhist View of Education and Practical Application, Zen Buddhist Monks Utilizing a Variety of Methods to Maintain Focus During Meditation, the Origin of the Zenga (Zen Painting) Technique Using Sumi Ink (Black Ink), the Most Well Renowned Japanese Ink Wash Artist, the Educational Institution Japanese Artist Sesshu Toyo Attended, Toyo’s View of Zen Buddhist Discipline, the Unique Punishment Toyo Received Whilst Becoming Educated at Shokokuji Temple (Temple of Mutual Acknowledgment), the Mythology of Toyo’s Response to This Punishment, the Purpose of This Mythology, the Reason Toyo Migrated to China During the 1460’s A.D., the Masterpiece Artwork of Toyo, How the Haboku Sansui (Broken/Splashed Ink Landscape) Work Was Created, the Image Depicted Within the Haboku Sansui Work, Toyo Preferring Ambiguity and Absence Within Artwork, the Person Who Created the Pine Trees in the Mist Work, the Symbolism of Empty Space Within the Pine Trees in the Mist Work, the Zen Buddhist View of Nature and the Landscape, One of the Greatest Japanese Gardens in Existence During the Modern Day, the Most Written About Garden in the World and the Ambiguity of Japanese Zen Buddhist Temple Ryōan-ji (Temple of Peaceful Dragon), the Gravel Used Within Ryōan-ji, the Number of Stones Within the Gravel of Ryōan-ji, the Importance of the Number 15 Within Zen Buddhism, the Reason Only 14 of the 15 Ryōan-ji Stones Can be Viewed Simultaneously, Ryōan-ji Providing Observers Multiple Interpretations From the Same Imagery, the Ambiguous Intent of Ryōan-ji, the Hypothesis of Why Ryōan-ji Was Constructed, the Zen Buddhist View of Obtaining the Correct Answer to a Question, the Zen Buddhist View of Unknowable Information, the Importance of Ambiguity Within Japanese Culture, the Western View of the Importance of Ambiguity Within Western Culture, the Origin of the Japanese Bonsai (Potted Plant/Tray Planting) Tree Art Form, the Period When the Bonsai Tree Art Form Was Imported into Japan, the Dominant Gender of Japanese Bonsai Tree Artists, the Oldest Bonsai Tree Alive During the Modern Day, One of the Most Popular Species of Bonsai Tree Within Japan, the Age of the Uzushio (Whirlpool) Bonsai Tree, the Reason the Uzushio Bonsai Tree Was Cultivated and Directed to Become Twisted, How the Uzushio Bonzai Tree Has Been Directed to Grow, the Intentional Aesthetic of the Uzushio Bonsai Tree, the Delicate Flowered Tree Which Has Been Revered Within Japan for Over 1 Millenia, the Period When the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Tree Blooms Within Japan, the Japanese Hanami (Flower Viewing) Festival, No Other Country Possessing a Festival Similar to the Japanese Sakura Hanami Festival, the Reason the Japanese Public and Japanese Culture Became Fascinated With the Sakura, the Reason the Sakura is Celebrated Within Japan, the Reason Blooming Sakura are Believed to be Especially Beautiful Within Japanese Culture, the Number of Seasons Celebrated Within Japan Annually, the Natural Elements of Japan Displayed Within Japanese Artwork, the Seasonal Fluctuations Within Japan, the Seasons Leveraged to Track the Passage of Time Within Japan Throughout History, the Location of the Kakitsubata-zu Byōbu (Irises Screen) Work During the Modern Day, the Period When Irises Bloom Within Japan Annually, the Physical Description of the Kakitsubata-zu Byōbu Work, the Central Theme of the Kakitsubata-zu Byōbu Work, the Stencil Work of the Kakitsubata-zu Byōbu Work, Japans Largest Natural Monument, the Altitude of Mount Fuji, the Reverence of Mount Fuji Throughout Japanese History, the Japanese Mountain Which Inspired Japanese Poetry, the Person Who Created the Concept of “Haiku” (Playful/Light/Amusement Verse) Poetry, the Natural Phenomena of Mount Fuji Which Captivated Zen Buddhist Practitioners, the Period When Japanese Artists Began Depicting Mount Fuji, the Location Japanese Artist Katsushika Hokusai Was Born, the Location Hokusai Resided Within During the Majority of His Life, the Artwork Hokusai is Most Well Renowned for, the Artwork Hokusai Produced Outside of Ukiyo-e (Pictures of the Floating World) (Wood Block Printing) Artwork, the Number of Times Hokusai Changed His Name and Home Address, Hokusai’s View of Artwork and the Craft of Producing Artwork, the Reason Hokusai’s Best Works Were Produced During His Late Adult Life, Hokusai’s Masterpiece Work, How Mount Fuji is Depicted Within Hokusai’s Fugaku Sanjūrokkei (36 Views of Mount Fuji) Work, the Number of Fishers Depicted Within Hokusai’s Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura (Under the Wave of Kanagawa) Work, How Hokusai Depicted These Fishers, How Hokusai Disguised and Inserted Mount Fuji into the Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura Work, How to Locate Mount Fuji Within the Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura Work, the Reason the Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura Work Appears Differently Between Western and Eastern Cultures, the Western View of the Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura Work vs the Eastern View of the Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura Work, the Reason the Color Vibrance of the Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura Work Has Remained Intact During the Modern Day, the Most Popular Ukiyo-e Print Within Japan During the 19th Century, the Simplicity of the Gaifū Kaisei (South Wind Clear Sky) (Fine Wind Clear Morning) (Red Fuji) Work, the Reason the Gaifū Kaisei Work Was a Risk for Hokusai to Produce, How Hokusai Balanced the Risk of the Gaifū Kaisei Work, the Reason Hokusai’s Works Celebrate Permanence and Impermanence Simultaneously, the Reason Hokusai Depicts Human Beings as Tiny Within Artwork, the Rapid Expansion of Japan During the 20th Century, the Multiple Natural Disasters Japan Experienced During the 20th Century and the Result of These Natural Disasters, the Reason the Japanese Government Concretized the Entire Coastline of Japan, the Strategy Utilized to Re-Plant Trees Within Japan During the Edo Period (1603 – 1868) Until the Modern Day, the Outsider View of the Japanese Public and Nature, Modern Day Transformation of Japan vs Modern Day Transformation of Most Countries, the Japanese Government Industrializing More Rapidly Than Most Other Countries, the Query Into Japan’s Dams During the 1980’s, the Japanese Government Continuing to Install Dams as Other Countries Remove Dams to Restore Nature, the Possibility of the Japanese Governmental Changing This Policy Within the Future, the Main Contradiction Between the Japanese Public and the Japanese Landscape, the Dual Views of Progress and Industrialization Within Japan, and the Holiest Location Within the Shinto Religion Date May 12, 2021 In relation to Interesting Facts The 4 Major Islands of Japan, the Main Island of Japan, the Number of Islands the Japanese Government Controls and the Number of Islands Inhabited by Japanese Residents, the Japanese Government’s View of Military Aggression Post World War II and the Limitations of Japanese Soldiers During the Modern Day, the Etymology of “Sapporo” (Dry Great River), the Reason the Japanese Government Colonized Hokkaido, Japan During the Mid 19th Century, the Various Ainu Cultural Aspects Prohibited by the Japanese Government During the Meiji Restoration of the Mid 19th Century, the Volume of the Japanese Public Who Are Ethnically Japanese During the Modern Day, the Japanese Public’s View of Japan and the Wider World, the Reason Sake Manufacturing is Decreasing Within Japan During the Modern Day, the Etymology of “Shinto” (the Way of the Gods/Spirits) and the Most Dominant Religion Within Japan, the Number of Persons Who Lived Within Fukushima, Japan Prior to the 2011 Higashi Nihon Daishinsai (Great Earthquake Disaster), the Only Person Who Remained Within Fukushima Post the 2011 Higashi Nihon Daishinsai, the Reason Animals Were Abandon Post the 2011 Higashi Nihon Daishinsai, the Length of Time Required for the Effects of Nuclear Radiation to Produce Symptoms Within Human Beings, the Radioactivity of Fukushima During the Modern Day and the Maximum Length of Time Visitors Can Stay, Radioactive Regions Around the World, the Primate Species Which Lives the Furthest North World Wide, the Concept of “Kawaii” (Cute/Adorable), and the Reason Japanese Hot Springs are Geothermally Active Date May 12, 2021 In relation to Interesting Facts The Beauty of Nature Within Japan: The Size of Japan and the Largest Island of Japan, the Concept of “Sakura Zensen” (Cherry Blossom Front), the Brief Lifecycle of the Japanese Sakura (Cherry Blossom), the Terrain and Topography of the Majority of Honshu, Japan, the Number of Mountains Within Honshu With an Elevation Above 3000 Meters, the Origin of Japanese Snow Macaques Utilizing Japanese Onsen (Hot Spring), the Number of Japanese Snow Macaques Which Visit the Jōshin’etsu-Kōgen (Upper Shinano Echigo Highlands) Onsen Daily, the Reason Japanese Snow Macaque are Some of the Most Photographed Animals World Wide, How Japanese Snow Macaques Are Encouraged by Human Beings to Remain Within the Region, How Human Beings Provide Gifts for Japanese Snow Macaques, the Water Flow Rate of Jōshin’etsu-Kōgen, the Highest Waterfall Within Japan, the Sound Created by Shōmyō Waterfall (Chanting Waterfall), the Japanese Public Leveraging the Shōmyō Waterfall for Agricultural Irrigation, the Period of the Year When White Orbs Appear Within the Trees of Rice Fields, the Animal Which Creates These White Orbs, the Effect of These White Orbs Upon Male Japanese Tree Frogs, the Usage of the White Orbs for Japanese Tree Frogs, How Japanese Tree Frog Tadpoles Hatch, the Location Japanese Tree Frog Tadpoles Drop Into Post Having Hatched, the Final Meal of Japanese Tree Frog Tadpoles Prior to Venturing Into the Ambient Environment, the Volume of Freshwater Diverted for Agricultural Irrigation Within Japan During the Modern Day, the Concept of “Kabata” (Living Water) Within Harie, Japan, How the Harie Shozu‑no‑Sato Kabata System (Kabata) (Field by the River) Water Network Works Within Harie, the Reason the Harie Shozu‑no‑Sato Kabata System Remains Clean, the Benefit of Utilizing Carp Rather Than Chemicals to Clean Water, How Used Harie Shozu‑no‑Sato Kabata System Water is Recycled to Irrigate Agriculture, the Nickname of “Harie”, the Causation of the Floating Green Orbs of Harie Each Summer, the Mating Ritual of Japanese Fireflies, the View of Japanese Fireflies by the Japanese Public Throughout History, the Concept of “Kodama” (Tree Spirits), the Reason Japanese Forests Have Remained Relatively Untouched Throughout History and During the Modern Day, the Near Extinction of the Japanese Serow, the Reason the Japanese Serow Was Saved From Extinction, the Ideal Settlement Location of Honshu’s Foothill Mountains, How Agricultural Fruits and Vegetables are Protected Within Japan Prior to Harvest, One of the Oldest Canine (Dog) Breeds in History, the Japanese Version of the Western Idiom “Fighting Like Felines (Cats) and Dogs”, One of Japan’s Oldest Cities, the Reason Patrons Embark Upon Pilgrimage to Nara, Japan, the Reason Sika (Deer) Venture into Nara Each Morning, the Japanese Mythology of a Deity Riding a Sika Deer into Nara During the 9th Century, the Reason Sika Deer are Considered Sacred Within Nara, Patrons Permitted to Feed Sika Deer Within Nara, the Reason the Sika Deer of Nara Have Learned to Bow, the Reason Sika Deer Within Nara Often Bow Continuously, the Location the Sika Deer of Nara Retreat to During the Day, the Population of Honshu During the Modern Day, the View of Tanuki (Raccoon Dog) Within Japan, the Reason Tanuki Thrive Within Japanese Cities, the Reason Most Japanese Citizens Permit the Negative Behaviors of Tanuki, the View of Harmony and Nature Within Buddhist and Shinto Philosophy, the 4 Fault Lines of Honshu, the Number of Earthquakes and Tremors Within Japan Annually, the Reason Japan Experiences Frequent Earthquakes, the Distance of Mount Fuji From Tokyo, the Concept of “Hanami” (Flower Viewing), the Length of Time the Hanami Tradition Has Been Observed Within Japan, the Food and Drink Consumed Beneath Sakura Trees Within Japan, and the Concept of “Mono No Aware” (Pathos of Things/Empathy Toward Things) Date May 12, 2021 In relation to Interesting Facts
