Buddhist Japan 211T
he early beliefs and practices of pre-Buddhist Japan, which
form a part of the belief system later called Shinto (“Way of the
Gods”), did not derive from the teachings of any individual founding
figure or distinct leader. Formal scriptures, in the strict sense, do not
exist for these beliefs and practices either. Shinto developed in Japan
in conjunction with the advent of agriculture during the Yayoi pe-
riod. Shinto thus originally focused on the needs of this agrarian so-
ciety and included agricultural rites surrounding planting and har-
vesting. Villagers venerated and prayed to a multitude of local deities
or spirits called kami.The early Japanese believed kami existed in
mountains, waterfalls, trees, and other features of nature, as well as in
charismatic people, and they venerated not only the kami themselves
but also the places the kami occupy, which are considered sacred.
Each clan (a local group claiming a common ancestor, and the
basic societal unit during the Kofun period) had its own protector
kami, to whom members offered prayers in the spring for successful
planting and in the fall for good harvests. Clan members built
shrines consisting of several buildings for the veneration of kami.
Priests made offerings of grains and fruits at these shrines and
prayed on behalf of the clans. Rituals of divination, water purifica-
tion, and ceremonial purification at the shrines proliferated. Visitors
to the shrine area had to wash before entering in a ritual of spiritual
and physical cleansing.
Purity was such a critical aspect of Japanese religious beliefs
that people would abandon buildings and even settlements if nega-
tive events, such as poor harvests, suggested spiritual defilement.
Even the early imperial court moved several times to newly built
towns to escape impurity and the trouble it caused. Such purifica-
tion concepts are also the basis for the cyclical rebuilding of the
sanctuaries at grand shrines. The buildings of the inner shrine (FIG.
8-6) at Ise, for example, have been rebuilt every 20 years for more
than a millennium with few interruptions. Rebuilding rids the sacred
site of physical and spiritual impurities that otherwise might accumu-
late. During construction, the old shrine remains standing until the
carpenters erect an exact duplicate next to it. In this way, the Japa-
nese have preserved ancient forms with great precision.
When Buddhism arrived in Japan from the mainland in the
sixth century, Shinto practices changed under its influence. For exam-
ple, until the introduction of Buddhism, painted or carved images of
Shinto deities did not exist. Yet despite the eventual predominance
of Buddhism in Japan, Shinto continues to exist as a vital religion for
many Japanese, especially those living in rural areas.Shinto
RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY8-6Main hall, Amaterasu shrine, Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan, Kofun period or later; rebuilt in 1993.
The most important Shinto shrine in Japan is that of the sun goddess Amaterasu at Ise. Constructed of wood with a thatch roof, the shrine reflects
the form of early Japanese granaries.