Shinto
Shinto is the indigenous spiritual tradition of Japan, centered on the veneration of kami, spirits associated with nature, ancestors, and sacred places, practiced alongside Buddhism throughout much of Japanese history.
Shinto has no single founder or central sacred text, developing organically from ancient Japanese nature worship and ancestor veneration practices that predate written historical records.
Central to Shinto practice is the veneration of kami, spirits believed to inhabit natural features such as mountains, rivers, and trees, as well as ancestors, honored at shrines marked by distinctive torii gates.
Shinto has coexisted with Buddhism in Japan for over a millennium, with many Japanese people participating in both traditions' rituals and festivals, and Shinto shrines remain widely visited for events such as New Year celebrations and coming-of-age ceremonies.
