Japan: Where Gods Aren't Gods and Worshipers Aren't Religious (Shinto Explained)

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Special thanks to David Chart for explaining the ins and outs of Shinto. Find out more about Shinto on his blog at www.mimusubi.com/ and support his writing on Patreon at www.patreon.com/mimusubi. NOTE: David didn't spit back into the purification font (what I called the water station). He spit the water outside of it into the drain. Also, the water is constantly replenished, so it's not standing water.

[@DavidChart]

Thanks, Greg! Glad I could help.

[@jadecummings8093]

That's so cool, I would love to join in.

[@kulia3163]

@@DavidChart So, would you consider Kami being purity? So far, I've seen that a lot of the traits from this video surrounding Kami has to do with purity.

[@Grimlor]

David Chart Hi David. Do you have an article or a video about the entire “official” water ceremony? I’d really like to know more. :)

[@sera-chan8194]

I would love if you made more videos about Shintoism :) I think its so interesting

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Who knows if people will see this, but David didn't spit back into the purification font water (what I called the water station). He spit the water outside of it, where it gets drained away. Also, the water is constantly replenished, so it's not standing water. Hope this helps some confusion... if anyone sees this.

[@DavidChart]

If I reply to this, the comment might get a higher rating and be seen by more people. I really didn't realise that it looked like I was spitting into the font in the video.

[@DavidChart]

@@maidenthe80sla Thank you. Yes, I think it has to be the camera angle, and Greg and me both knowing what we were looking at, and thus not seeing the problem.

[@sherlocked3884]

Isn't there an option to pin this post onto the top? :o it took me really long to find it

[@DavidChart]

@@sherlocked3884 Well, if people respond to it, it will naturally float up.

[@elvillivle]

Thanks for this

[@DUMB0B0]

*"I watch Noragami with my daughter."* I see you're a man of culture as well.

[@PositiviteaTheFirst]

Indeed

[@Shahanshah.Shahin]

*The rituals in Shintoism ⛩ are pretty similar to Hinduism 🕉️ and one more interesting thing is that the goddess "Benzaiten" of Shintoism/Japanese Zen Bhuddhism is actually goddess "Saraswati" of Hinduism.*

[@Benneducci]

I also recommend "Gingitstune" (possibly not correct spelling), a nice little slice of life anime set at a little Inari shrine.

[@HeavenlySaviour]

Marlyn Manuella lol

[@zbigbozbboy5245]

@@Shahanshah.Shahin it's actually more similiar to bhudism

[@isabelforsyth455]

As a Japanese I would say Shinto is more like natural philosophy and mindset ingrained in daily life. Not like believe the existence of God at all. There are something completely outside of our control (whether, future, luck, etc) or something that human being can never recognize or even imagine its existence. Those stuff are also respected its space.When we see beauty in nature or something that people’s power can’t or shouldn’t intervene, we feel divinity and pay respect. There is no exact definition of Kami. It’s the way we appreciate the nature or any stuff from daily supplies to large scale phenomenon. There was a popular song called “toilet god”. (Toilet no kami-Sama) The song is about gramma telling and teaching her granddaughter that there is goddess in toilet, so if she cleans toilet and use it nicely, she can become beautiful like the goddess ( doesn’t state explicitly in the song but it implies beauty of the heart). In this case, there is no official kami of toilet but the grandma has her and her granddaughter “believe” so, so that toilet is treated nicer way and they feel purifying their heart through cleaning filthy stuff physically. It’s the way Japanese people see the world, feel and show appreciation to everything we have by paying respect to everything, then feel blessed by doing so.

[@KristineBette]

isabel forsyth I love this!

[@megan.smiley221]

So Shinto is the philosophy that if you treat everything as if its a deity it encourages respectful conduct, and that being respectful rewards people?

[@MashMaloCircus]

@@megan.smiley221 Shintoism has its deep root in animism like many native American tribes but able to adapt to modern lifestyle, the West either fail to understand it because of their Christian background or overfetishise like the hippies did, it's just another way of living and viewing the world

[@sorestedhebytheTumtumtree]

MashMaloCircus the way OP describe Shintoism did remind me of Animism. My country is predominantly Christian but some of our "pagan" practicies still pops up every now and then. Our ancestors were followers of Animism before Christianity and other religions were introduced to us. Sometimes it's strange to hear them speak of spirits and beings residing in the forests and and at the same time be devout Christians.

[@hiimain7932]

I am not a Japanese and I really love the philosophy of Shitoism. The saying "Its not about what you believe, its about what you do" is a powerful words that I most religious group missed out. I am a muslim, but as I grow, I drifted apart from some of the teachings. There was one time, my friend had conversion about faith, and I suddenly said "Its our good deeds is what the world needs, not our belief" and she object and told me "It doesnt matter how good you are, if you dont believe in god". I do believe in GOD, i dont understand why when you do good but different from others is considered manifistation of not believing your GOD. I am a muslim, and I want to be friend with Jews. And to be honest, I felt sad. When I think about her words, I see chaos and the images of Jerusalem and other countries in chaos despite of being considered holy. I think, if we want to build a loving, compassion and respectful society, religious group should acknowledge what consequences of their actions. Religion is being used for political ends, and even justify violence, gender inequalities, discrimination, etc. Since I was young, I was exposed to cruelty against LGBT, the feeling of being helpless makes me questioned the righteousness of my religion, when I expressed my support to LGBT community, I received so many hate words from people who claim themselves religious, I even got threat. It was traumatised psyhologically. I knew I will get backlash but I didnt expect to that extent, I cant believe someone is capable of spelling those hate words. I mean, how could someone sleep when deep in subconscious mind, she/he will be saved and the REST wont. I mean, the very definition hypocrisy. I really pray one day, they will wake up and acknowledge the reality. We should learn the teaching of Shintoism. Its the most ideal philosophy to embrace.

[@Citrine-K]

I love how the ethereal music stops abruptly when he spits the water out.

[@iwakuralain1459]

And then continues

[@ChemySh]

@Funny Dojyaaan naw, seems like he's spitting between his feet (outside the water fountain). If the priest smites you for touching lips to the ladle, I cant imagine what they'd do to someone that spits into the fountain

[@FrVitoBe]

@Funny Dojyaaan that im wondering 2

[@RI-bd6wl]

Akin G No you spit on the ground. Actually, there are bunch of rocks on the ground so that the water people spilled or spitted can drain.

[@intodorkness2192]

so many comments and none of them address that his tie is tucked into his pants..

[@themysteriousstranger4580]

god that is the first thing I noticed and it bothered me the whole time

[@itsJoshV]

Helps with the mic

[@rasheedqe]

I'm like is that a British or Japanese thing?

[@giantred]

Thank you! lol I let it go because I found him so informative but it did cause a 'What the what?' moment lol

[@SejhaIsHere]

immediately was gonna check that.

[@lorenzsanjuan]

What I love about Japan is that despite their out-of-this-world technology, they elegantly integrate their culture and tradition to it which makes them even more interesting than any other country in the world. 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵

[@HarryNicNicholas]

yep, they know how to "purloin" stuff. i love japan and the japanese. look out for the toilet goddess comment above, it's so funny and incredibly japanese....

[@ssjcrafter8842]

@@HarryNicNicholas even one year later, the comment above is still the same comment... surprised the order didn't change. (Sorry for the notification you probably got...)

[@justynafigas-skrzypulec3349]

There is a video on the channel "Abroad in Japan" nicely explaining how Japan used to have out-of-this-world technology... in the 80s and 90s and now is surpassed by maaaaaany nations but the stereotype holds.

[@yamahargxa2]

@@justynafigas-skrzypulec3349 Japan is still up there in tech. All depends on which sector.

[@tovarishchfeixiao]

@@yamahargxa2 And even if regular people not uses it on a daily basis, they know some pretty nice high techs.

[@philiproszak1678]

Finally, an explanation of Shinto that makes sense. Regarding people identifying as Shinto, I know some older Japanese people (60, 70+) who often go to funerals of older friends and loved ones. The ceremonies are almost always Buddhist. They could only remember one person who had a Shinto ceremony. PS, your camera work was particularly beautiful on this video. That two shot and interview.. the exposure.. the focus and color. Perfect.

[@Luca-sl7tb]

I've read that Shinto considers death a source of impurity, and therefore Shinto funerals don't really seem to be a thing. Most funerals in Japan follow a Buddhist ritual instead because of it, since Buddhism is much more focused on rebirth and what happens after someone's death.

[@DavidChart]

@@Luca-sl7tb Death is a source of impurity in Shinto, but Shinto funerals are a thing, and virtually all Shinto priests have them. They are rare in most of Japan, because for about two centuries in the Edo period it was illegal to not have a Buddhist funeral. There are a few areas where everyone changed to Shinto funerals as soon as it became legal, and they are still common there. I guess the local Buddhist priests were not very popular. Shinto funerals are never held at jinja, though, because of the impurity.

[@tams805]

There's a 'saying' (?), that Japanese people are born Shinto, marry Christian, and die Buddhist. Very Mongel of them...

[@Luca-sl7tb]

@@DavidChart Thanks for the information!

[@carmcam1]

my tour guide in fukuoka said that they are born shinto and died buddhist. If i remember it, death is bad in shinto perspective, when buddhism arrived in japan, it gave them like a good view of death so they adapt the religion in combination with shinto.

[@singaporemoon]

Hi~, I am very average Japanese. I have comments on this video. It may be very difficult for Western people to understand the position of Shinto in Japanese heart/mind. It may be religion, but more exactly speaking, it is the basis of Japanese heart/mind. Basic philosophy for life Basic vision how to appreciate or be awe of nature Basic value to judge the conclusion in the life Shinto has no very systematic religious book and academic theory like Buddhism, Christian or Islam. Shinto has grown up as reflecting the Japanese heart/mind in the evolution of Japanese civilization for last a few thousand years. That’s why it naturally exists in every Japanese, whatever his/her religion is. For example, many Japanese Christians visit Shinto shrine for each seasonal occasion. It is never irreverence to Jesus. Many Japanese are Buddhist, but we also visit Shinto Shrine so often which is ordinary life activity rather than religious activity. Again, Shinto is the basis of Japanese heart/mind rather than religion.

[@buffboi9454]

So shintoism is just like an ordinary....law of nature...but how it became religion??

[@athenawilson4019]

@@buffboi9454 Remember, "religion" is an English word, not Japanese. When translating between languages, there are often differences in fine shades of meaning. The only real way to ask your question would be in Japanese...and it might not mean the same thing that you intend.

[@buffboi9454]

@@athenawilson4019 no your wrong....the word religion is only just a translation from the greek word (inglesh translate=(Religare)if im not mastaken.... And how do you call a shinto worshipers A Cult or Religion?

[@tylerfanell8212]

Richard Tapales You can more so call it a spiritual practice or tradition rather than a religion. It’s the heart/mind of Japan like they said. It gives reverence for Nature and reminds us that we are nature and teaches us to humble ourselves

[@buffboi9454]

@@tylerfanell8212 whats...the difference??? its the same thing....as long as there is Spiritual envolvement....Not Scientific...

[@マシュー-h1y]

9:12 "It's more about what you do than what you believe." This hit me hard. He put into words, what I've felt all these years living in Japan.

[@girodimo]

@@vids595 Actions speak louder than words

[@danyis3042]

he had to flex his keyboard right? 😂

[@Missmethinksalot1]

I'd flex it if I had one like that! So cyborg-ey.

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

They keyboard actually isn't that expensive. In fact, most everything else on my desk is worth more... which sounds like I'm trying to flex. I'll just be quiet now.

[@Missmethinksalot1]

@@LifeWhereImFrom we've seen your monitors( technical term?) in other videos so yeah gotta say they're fancier.

[@danyis3042]

@@LifeWhereImFrom we allways have to be checkin something to troll you man sorry!😊

[@danyis3042]

@@LifeWhereImFrom ill never get a heart now at least now i know that im not supposed to sip straigh fro the cup

[@andresm645]

I'm an atheist, and during my long trip in Japan I felt really drawn by Jinja and Shinto, and it's really nice to see something that explains the way I felt. In my personal experience I felt really drawn by the respect of the culture, the rituals and the respect to everything. From the respect shown to others and to nature, to the respect you show in the temple, that ultimately means respect for the labor of the people involved in it and the tradition and generations of people before you. Before this video I found it somewhat hard to rationalize the way I felt, but you helped me understand :) Needless to say, incredible video, thanks.

[@unrox]

Andres Mata I felt the same during my visit! I’m an atheist as well and I felt comfortable visiting and praying at a jinja.

[@dianahuang4991]

In a way I feel that anthropomorphizing mountains rivers objects really help us humans feel emotionally connected w nature and things. Like how the komari method have you thank your old clothes before letting them go. It’s a very personal, intimate way relating and connecting to the world around us I feel... :)

[@maidenthe80sla]

As an atheist I know I will feel more at ease and in tune to the ways of Japan than I will ever in America. I like that in Shintoism you are looked at by your actions not your faith. A concept I have followed since I can remember. Religion is basically centered around daily life for many in the U.S.A. and especially in the Bible Belt aka the South. The bad thing is if you are found not to be a Christian then you are basically looked down upon and/or ostracized by the many that are. Or they preach to you or try to get you to attend their church in order to convert you from your heathenish ways. I have found too many in my lifetime that were hypocrites as to how they behaved or how I was treated. No thank you, I am fine as I am.

[@mariuscash2144]

Trust me it is not the region draws you it is the exotic culture..

[@cl9596]

Your fellow agnostic also agree.

[@rinmaro279]

I am a Japanese who has a shrine just off my house. I am very proud that this video is seen by many people. Many people talked about etiquette and culture,but please feel free to visit the shrine without thinking too hard. If you go to a shrine in the countryside of japan, I would like you to turn around after passing thought the Torii gate and see the scenery where time stopped. Also the bow doesn’t have to be that deep. I’m sorry if the sentence is strange because I’m translating.

[@ryuukakhadijah7766]

Thank you so much! I like shrines and I would like to visit it someday. The scenery is really beautiful

[@jessicapearson9479]

We have a Shinto Shrine in Washington State USA.

[@waltersumofan]

He's so tall that if he doesn't bow that deeply the short kami won't notice 😀

[@yulinn.]

ありがとうございます、りんさん。私もりんです、面白いね？ your comment is very insightful, my apologies for poor translation since i am still at a novice level in the language. お大事に♡～💫

[@localtribe2851]

your shinto religion is similiar to pre-islamic javanese. even some moslems today still pay offerings to the gods which we call it dahyang/ danyang who rule/reside/look after a sacred place/shrine. the concept of kami is similar/same as dahyang/danyang in javanese.

[@lordtaube2188]

I really like the concept of paying respect without being bounded to a religion. I feel like there is kind of a ''rivalry'' between the world religions and there wouldnt be such a thing as a christian paying respect for example to a muslim prophet

[@mentino1556]

It's like two corners of the world are entire new worlds rather than the same one wolrd. It is mind-boggling

[@esml373]

It’s healthy and nobody suffers from stupid rules written in a supposedly sacred book by some human thousands of years ago.

[@goesastawan4969]

Here in Indonesia, we Christians did it. We celebrated prophet Muhammad, birthday, etc. But, when Christmas come, annual problem begin...

[@leabugmp]

Monotheistic religions don't pay respect to gods or other holy figures of other religions because they are required to only pay that respect to their own God. That's not an excuse to be rude when talking to someone of another faith, but as an Orthodox Christian, I'm not going to pay my respects at a Shinto shrine or a mosque because it's against my monotheistic faith.

[@leabugmp]

@Tesla-Effect There is a little crossover due to the fact that they're both Abrahamic faiths and Islam developed last, but a Christian would not recognise Mohammed or any other Muslim holy people. Similarly, Judaism doesn't recognise Christian saints *or* any holy people in Islam, but Christians recognise Jewish holy people.

[@detectiveben1096]

This might say a lot about how Japanese are so serious into keeping the environment clean and taking care of the nature. They are respecting the Kami everywhere

[@jacquelineess1141]

If only they showed sea creatures the same respect...

[@detectiveben1096]

@@jacquelineess1141 they do, except maybr with whales

[@jacquelineess1141]

@@detectiveben1096 Dolphin hunting. 🥴

[@detectiveben1096]

@@jacquelineess1141 they do dolphin huntings??? 😨

[@jacquelineess1141]

@@detectiveben1096 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiji_dolphin_drive_hunt 😢

[@martin4374]

He's so British, his tie is tucked.

[@dannydk6]

Martin Q they do that

[@bethzapadka5957]

Definitely British😅

[@wmascolin]

I know this is just a joke but I'm pretty sure it's because the mic on on the top of his tie, they had him tuck it in so it doesn't flap around and mess with the audio.

[@campkira]

i belive he is canadian...

[@rehabwales]

It's really not a British thing...it's a nerd thing.

[@Shinchan-hr4wv]

When I was in Japan, at a jinja I saw a Japanese lady praying at the jinja, she didn't move for half an hour and to this day I wonder what made her pray for so long. I think it must have been serious.

[@NotSoCrazyNinja]

It was, but we will never know just how serious.

[@juanpefernandez]

Thanks. This observations (which are like a glimpse to human soul) are the fabric of good fiction stories

[@MisokoFukumoto]

shoo, no one asked you, Farid

[@anassorbestiak]

I hope she is doing OK today

[@bubblegumthinks7809]

Farid Chelbi shut up Farid no one asked

[@vanmaren962]

Holy crap! I lived in Japan for 4 years and had a sense of most of the things explained in this video, but would never have been able to illustrate any of that verbally. This video was really full of epiphanies for me, explaining what I felt for so long. This is really why I love your videos, you take so many topics that I have come to understand naturally, but could have never put into words, and then explain them in detail and give reasons for their being the way that they are. Please don't stop making content. When I move back to Japan, I feel like I will be so much more well equipped and more capable of appreciating the culture fully. Really, thanks a lot!

[@joyyunie1514]

This is a true story, the first time i went to japan, was having a bad year in job. One day we went to nara and saw this horse kami, as i always had a special attachment with horses, showed my depply respect and prays asking for have luck with my new job. Voilá, after 5 years i still have the same job and it has been great since then.

[@HarryNicNicholas]

ah, if only that were true, i would be a multi millionaire with blond hair and blue eyes riding sea horses around the moon.

[@koraiemon]

@@HarryNicNicholas you have to be deserving and a working person nothing comes magically

[@Chuulip]

I felt that knee bending when he bowed to offer his respect in my bones

[@grayfox6930]

Ah, so im not the only one.

[@dagaminking8272]

same

[@lanhikari7667]

OOF

[@PinkBunnyCorporation]

It was like a half squat, half bow.

[@miamazingness]

Not very flexible, maybe. heh heh

[@TheThisIsMe2010]

Galaxy brain: You can bow to every torii in a torii tunnel by just Naruto running through it

[@mentino1556]

Oh. My. God You are a genius

[@thenicflynn]

You’ll gain the ultimate favor!! Haha

[@linwong1494]

1000 IQ right here

[@tylersingleton9284]

Mad Lad

[@yohanfye]

Big Brain

[@ciganyweaverandherperiwink6293]

One of the best 'everyday' Japanese culture channels out there. You're making such a definite impact on other humans around the world, inspiring them in ways you can't even imagine whilst teaching and entertaining them. Can't ask for more than that in life, can you? Thank you again.

[@NiDeCo]

Ok, small note, since the British guy didn't clarify: 8 million (八百万) is also read "yaoyorozu", in which case you could translate it as "myriad" or "countless". It just means there are a ton of kami.

[@suprememasteroftheuniverse]

He's an idiot trying to explain what he doesn't understand.

[@maelstrom2313]

​@@suprememasteroftheuniverse He specifically said it doesn't literally mean 8 million but "a large number, a fortunate number of kami" Did you watch the video?

[@atlas89]

He did clarify it like literally 5 seconds later.

[@rickykirk1]

www.mimusubi.com/about-mimusubi/ amazing how he doesnt understand it and yet he was still able to past the highest level test about shinto offered by the largest shinto organization in japan. must have gotten lucky. but of course you being the "master of the universe" must understand already huh?

[@piyodsbl1900]

Guys calm down, about him. He’s just telling us.

[@ismailniyaz5167]

"You don't need an appointment to go visit a ginger."

[@peterpansplayground]

THANK YOU FOR THIS. XD

[@rommelcaritativo3005]

its jinja not ginger. hehehe

[@DarkZerol]

It makes sense because gingers don't have souls.

[@mull4065]

lol

[@MyselfAgain]

"Different ginger have a reputation for having different kinds of benefits."

[@Ippannjin1973]

This video deepened my understanding of my culture and religion as a Japanese. Since we take this for granted, we don’t know where to start when we are asked to explain our religion. I always felt uncomfortable when translating Kami into God, but he is right. Kami and God are not the same. By separating the definitions of the two different ideas, Shintoism can be approachable to anyone who is a devout monotheist. Shintoism has no written official rules of how we should lead our lives but we are only told how to pray. Shintoists are not mentally dependent on Kami, but we are told to be respectful to trees, stones, foods and any other things where Kami can reside inside.

[@aurilightsong6330]

OMGosh this is so amazing!!!!!!!!!! It's really nice to learn about Shinto-ism from an insiders viewpoint. I like what he said about it not being your identity but what you do. That is something we could definitely use more of in this world

[@wordlesschronicle]

To make it simple, 神(kami) is most likely to be translate as “ conscious “ in western terms, rather than God. Asian philosophy doesn’t really have a belief system of creator ( except some Vedic ) , I hope this info helps : )

[@KristineBette]

I love this! Thanks for the info.

[@FreeManFreeThought]

And when talking about Hindu beliefs, they are actually in a western tradition, as in tradition and mythology it is quite clearly related to European Pagan beliefs.

[@rokranged]

@@FreeManFreeThought yes because both originated in central asia/eastern europe. If you track the flow of languages over time, this becomes more obvious. That's also how German and Hindi ended up being part of the same language tree.

[@FreeManFreeThought]

@@rokranged I know, I just didn't want to write a 5 paragraph response XD

[@NickRyanBayon]

Because conciousness is escoteric for god.

[@minexplosion2857]

So now I understand kami more like a honourable "soul". Kami are more powerful than general souls, what makes them godlike. Being grateful for the nature around you, treat the kami with respect and the cosmos will bring good fortune. Is it more about being aware than believing? Something like that?

[@DavidChart]

That's certainly one reasonable way of looking at it, and a fairly common one. People have a wide range of approaches to Shinto.

[@songyani3992]

You see，for us east asians，things are a little bit complicated. The Japanese kanji for kami here is 神，which we Chinese and those Japanese also use to represent all gods in different religions. So for us when we see Japanese word kami，the word God automatically jump into our mind.

[@songyani3992]

Because we don't have distinctional words for spirit/god we are easily mixing those up，I don't know about you guys in the west

[@LCCD1143]

Songya Ni Well, the west was founded in democracy and christianism, so i bet the majority here automatically relates the word god with the biblical god. Although i bet the ancient Hebrews had the god/spirit duality in some words, because in the enoch's book Jehova is called "the Lord of the Spirits"

[@user-td8if4fb1v]

I know it's a late reply, but Kami are also not exactly honourable. There are people out there that believe Kami are not all necessary good or godlike in a western sense. There are violent sides of a Kami, the ara-mitama, a happy side, the saki-mitama etc.. There are also overall very evil kami like Amanozako.

[@openbeta843]

And he just said... "Its something you do, its not something you are" NICE!

[@WR3ND]

I'm not sure how apt that actually is though. Japanese often seem to be quite Japanese. Sure, maybe within the context of a religion as it's often viewed in the west.

[@Theohybrid]

But, isn't tradition just as bound as religion? People do things because of its societal benefits and individual conscience.

[@margretbryan-bell5490]

In Jamaica 🇯🇲 we refer to that as livity. This is particularly evident with Rastafarianism... it's about the divine connection of an individual's state of mind and nature, blessed love

[@ileniaventroni9799]

I cannot overstate how happy I am that when I was in Japan for my honeymoon, and visited many shrines, I always tried to perform all the rituals correctly. I did not know how important it was for Japanese people and the shinto priests, I just felt I should do it out of respect, and felt that the place nearly demanded it with its beauty and quiet. Knowing how this is the priests and the locals preference, I'm so happy I took the time. And honestly, it felt so good for the soul, not far from what everyone calls mindlfulness. The shinto approach to nature, people and beauty is wonderful: I fell in love with Japan and its culture, and I hope I'll be able to come back soon and nring my daughter too.

[@GoldieTamamo]

Shinto seems less a religion, and more like... a kind of reverse shamanism... bringing out the divinity in the everyday.

[@GoldieTamamo]

@wowalinbie Yeah, maybe. I think I would concede so far as to describe Shinto as a 'religious phenomenon', but I don't know if I'd call it an organized religion. A complex of popular animistic folk religions, possibly. And Zen Buddhism seems to work as the glue.

[@freekitten00]

or animism.

[@GoldieTamamo]

@@freekitten00 Kami are indeed what we might classify a pretty animistic principle. As are Yokai--look no further than tsukomogami, for instance--animated object spirits--or henge bakemono, anthropomorphic, shapeshifting animals, who possess, impersonate, and/or intermingle with humans. It's less that there are things called 'gods' in that worldview, and more that there are things called 'things', and things should be treated with a degree of respect, whether they're well understood or not, friendly to humans, or otherwise.

[@lucretius8050]

It is close to paganism and taoism where you pray to objects and give offerings.

[@cyberneticbutterfly8506]

@@GoldieTamamo The word religion doesn't imply organized religion, that is why we have two terms 'religion' and 'organized religion'.

[@idleeidolon]

I find it annoying that westerners have a very weird definition of religious. I recall that quote saying, "you can't find god because you aren't looking low enough." I feel japan is very, very religious. So much so, that it blends into the background like white noise, and they aren't even aware they are. It's not a showy act of western devotion. Rather, a continuous stream of ritual habit, and calm endeavor towards ideals/virtues.

[@Andrew-gn9qp]

That's because Shinto is the native religion of Japan, its rooted in their identity as an ethnic group. If you took the time to watch documentaries on Japan, they'll often say "We Japanese people believe in this Shinto god, or in this Shinto ritual, or in this Shinto festival." Japan's isolation allowed this to happen. In less isolated countries, such as Korea, China, and India, native beliefs are in constant clash with foreign beliefs, and thus religion takes on a more rigid form to organise its adherents.

[@AyubuKK]

Moist Von Lipwig true

[@kokofan50]

That’s because the major religions in the West are over grown cults, while Shinto is what used to be called a pagan religion.

[@suckkmycandles]

@@kokofan50 yeah pagan stuff was always into nature and very chill and calm. monotheism like christianity and islam ruined everything. like someone else said they're pretty much overgrown cults and rife with violence and nonsense

[@kokofan50]

cathy, I wouldn’t call the Aztec religion, the Hindu practice of burning a widow alive on her husband’s funeral pier, the Dionysian cult, etc. chill.

[@jf8381]

As a Japanese who has been studying Religion and Crosscultural studies in Indonesia, this video is very interesting to know what is the new or unfamiliar thing in Shinto for foreigners. And glad to have someone who can explain it in English. Just one addition. For most Japanese, the beliefs of Shinto and Buddhism are very mixed and Japanese Buddhism itself is also much influenced by Chinese Confucianism and Taoism even though normal Japanese never realize it. If you have a chance to come to Japan, it might be interesting to observe Japanese religious rituals or behavior and you can find many of those which could be rooted in multiple religions.

[@killesantos8752]

Hello. I would like to know more about the comparisons of the three religion mainly shintoism, confucianism, and taoism. Would u like to help :((

[@jf8381]

@@killesantos8752 I think this video could help to understand how the Japanese religion adopted Hinduism. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX3Fd2eEeZuKl6M

[@jf8381]

@@killesantos8752 As for mixing Shinto, Confucianism, Taoism, this article might help you to understand though this is a very academic article. Hope it help! www.demystifyingconfucianism.info/daoism-shinto-buddhism-and-confucianism

[@killesantos8752]

@@jf8381 Thank you so much, Jin! That's a big help!

[@jf8381]

@@killesantos8752 your welcome. I am also glad there is someone who wants to know about the Japanese religion deeply!

[@p11111]

4:31 it's worth noting that he spit onto the ground and not back into the trough

[@miamazingness]

I was wondering this.

[@Siterus]

Thanks, for a second i thought "did he just spit back into the trough? that's kinda weird." and i also thought thats why the music stopped

[@Siterus]

@@name-jx9bo you do realize he isn't spitting randomly, right? He can't just drink the water so it has to come out one way or the other.

[@Siterus]

@@name-jx9bo that's... still spitting...

[@discozillah]

that bit of editing detail was hillarious tbh

[@davidtitanium22]

I like how "David" is written in kanji to mean "person who pour out his thoughts"

[@colin-kun3611]

Nice

Yeah, they actually have a bunch of wooden carvings for sale all over Japanese gift shops that list common western names in Kanji format and usually don’t mean anything special, but rather recreate the sounds through choosing kanji that sounds as close to the western sounds as possible. Take for example the name “Tamera” which could become 為羅　「ためら」　and roughly translate to “because of thin silky clothing” which doesn’t actually mean anything special or name-like, but manages to replicate the sound of the name to the best that it can with Japanese phonetics. This of course gets difficult with names that have sounds that aren’t available in Japanese such as V, but they have to make do with the closest sound for that which is B. They do have alternatives in Hiragana and Katakana that sounds like a V, which looks like this 「ヴィ」and just basically takes the “ui” sound and hardens it so it sounds like a V but not as harsh as a B. They also solved the D sound issue by just adding small vowels to existing katakana to create something like ディ. This easy solve isn’t available in Kanji though since those only have Japanese phonetics, so those wooden collectible name tags aren’t actually going to be as phonetically accurate as people think, when compared with name tags that would just have their name written out in the Katakana format traditionally used for foreign imported words. And as a final thought, god I hope that no one gets their western kanji name tattooed on themselves. Just. please. Don’t.

[@user-ze7sj4qy6q]

Rob R what do you mean they dont have a plain d sound? what non plain d do they have? i've never seen the japanese d described as anything but /d/

[@Kitajima2]

I'm a hafu named David. I've always liked my name, David. The kanji is the one my grandma used. And my name is definitely weird in Japanese bc of the "v". My brother's name is Daniel, and it's easier to say in Japanese. In it's original Hebrew, David means "beloved 'of God/Yahweh". Not particularly religious in the organized sense, but I like it's original meaning too

[@user-ze7sj4qy6q]

Rob R rereading this rn and just realized you probably meant d without a vowel following it, not that the japanese d is phonologically different from ours

[@dee-ker5867]

It has been a year since, and i’m still amazed by how artfully you tackled this topic and put it all into such a comprehendible video!

[@GarlicAvenger]

This is really intriguing to me, as I'm Nordic and my entire family still worships the Old Aesir and Vanir Gods. Japanese Kami and Shinto as a religion, seems to be very, very close to our way of thinking and way of life with regards to religion...We are sort of semi atheist - not really fully believing in the existence of Odin, Thor, Freya, Njord, etc, etc, and all the old sagas and the creation of the world from Ginnungagap, and Ymir.. and we are bound and grounded in reality, yet we pay respect to the traditions and customs of our ancestors for thousands of years - like the great feast days, the summer/winter solstices, etc... Like, asking Odin for wisdom or Thor for courage, or etc, in our times of need. It's more a respect thing for tradition and to honour the ideas of these gods and their incredibly complex stories, than an actual belief system... Like we don't WORSHIP, more like the Japanese, we show respect to a natural aspect of our lives, and continue living the way we do... we aren't about to run around and slaughter a goat on an altar and offer it to Freya for a bountiful harvest, but we wish people off with Loki's blessings to bring them mirth and joy on their way. Just a similar feel to the way I've been raised, yet so incredibly new and interesting, and different. I love Japan. I have so much respect with their country, religion, traditions and culture in general and how they seemlessly and peacefully make everything coexist in balance these days.... A long and bloody path they took to get here like everyone on Earth, yet they've achieved the current pinnacle of human society, in my opinion... One day I will visit, even if it's the last thing I do. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️Idk, I find these kinds of concepts REALLY hard to get through to Christians, Muslims and Catholics - who's gods demand they grovel and supplicate at their feet or be destroyed. Whereas my gods demand I be worthy and honourable, that I stand as a man (or woman, they aren't excluded) and fight alongside with them at Ragnarok, at the end of all things, alongside my ancestors. it's kind of a freeing thought, that if it is true, my gods believe in me and need my strength and honour to help them fight the chaos as an Einherjar, alongside the Aesir, Vanir, and the Valkyries. It makes you want to train and work hard daily to be the strongest and most kind and honourable man you can be in life.. And even if it's not true, then at least I would have lived a GOOD life.

[@kaitlinberanek4539]

"Pinnacle of human society" except everyone is overworked, there's horrible sexism, suicide rates are high while happiness levels are low. Japan is amazing but no place is perfect

[@TheWorldThatYouWishFor]

Well said I personally hate all kinds of religions but your comment bought a smile to my face as you do not act brainless like most Religious people who grovel before their imaginary gods and expect them to improve their life instead of working hard for it!

[@volinazhradeana8400]

I'm Islam, but trust me... I understand this concept because there this kind of thing in my country too

[@GarlicAvenger]

@@volinazhradeana8400 Yea, I know for sure it's not all Christians, Catholics or Muslims/Islamists (I don't know if that's 2 different things, or if you guys prefer to be called one or the other...?? fill me in if I'm saying something wrong, brother). It's just the ones who I've met, who live around me.. (many more different cultures where I live, just those are the main 3 near my area). Just unlucky for me I guess...

[@kaitlinberanek4539]

@Gray Kin lmao

[@stacy2550]

Keep safe from Typhoon hagibis everyone in Japan

[@freedom3491]

😢❤️

[@evanbutler9813]

Sit on my face

[@mozartjpn137]

The typhoon is approching to Tokyo where I live. Now I am going to pray for our safty. 神様(Shinto God)、仏様(Buddha)、キリスト様！(Christ)! Actually, we sometimes pray this way.

[@VS580217]

Lauren Mendez ありがとう😇

[@DavidChart]

Thank you!

[@kingcrow902]

07:55 that is the most British bows I've ever seen

[@MoonshineBeforeSunshine]

At 6:54, "5 Yen is a really popular offering to ginger." Good to know! It made me think of getting a lot of 5-Yen coins & every time I see one of my ginger cousins offer them one coin each as a show of respect & tell them to purify my soul with their soullessness.

[@no.8466]

You're my dad now lool

[@athenawilson4019]

@ClandestineOstrich Maybe he should offer them a nickel instead. :-D If they are under the age of ten, they *will* appreciate it!

[@stinkbugger]

i'm ginger chuck me a fiver

[@sleepingbackbone7581]

So awesome and informative! I love everything about Japan, but this "religious" themes are the best (and food, don't forget the food!) I could listen to two of you for hours. David is a treasure trove of knowledge.

[@DavidChart]

Well, I could go on about it for hours. I suspect that most people would lose interest before I did, though. That's one of Greg's jobs: making sure I don't go on too long about uninteresting bits.

[@sleepingbackbone7581]

@@DavidChart for me, details ARE what makes something bigger more interesting. But I guess each to it's own. :D Never the less, it was pleasure learning something new.

[@seikocitizenwatches]

Japan has one of the coolest and most interesting cultures in the world 🌍. I love Japan.

[@liqiang4506]

Fake news JAPANESE religion is MUSLIM not Christian or SHINGTO

[@ErraticFaith]

Plenty of us still practise Japanese traditions and whilst this video is practically garbage, we certainly aren't 'Muslim'. Please do better with your trolling. You're boring.

[@rivertonhigh-v4t]

@@liqiang4506 Real News: China is committing genocide on its Muslims.

[@jaxthewolf4572]

@@liqiang4506 What

[@BigBrainPotato]

@@liqiang4506 lmao no

[@XSpImmaLion]

Awesome video Greg, this eases up trying to explain religion in Japan. The best way I came up to talk about shinto and buddhism with other people is explaining that you better see them in Japan more as tradition or culture than religion itself. All countries have some sort of tradition or cultural part that came from religion. Some of them became divorced of faith or belief overtime, for lots of people in those countries. They have value in several ways - cultural identity, society values, life philosophy, spiritual meaningfullness, personal guidance, expressing emotions, finding common ground in communities plus all sorts of other things. All of those are usually valuable in faith and belief based religions too, but I personally think, this is personal opinion, that they are better divorced. Blind faith and belief are usually the worst parts a religion has to offer, specially when taken to extremes. This is how I make sense of religion in general, as an atheist. It's not inherently bad to be part of it, people should be free to follow whatever they want, but blindly believing or putting faith in something that is bad in itself cannot be excused just because one is following a religion. I don't accept religion as scapegoat for bad behaviour or bad ideas. I don't really participate in any local tradition with links to religion I guess... there aren't many counterparts to the shinto temple, matsuris and whatnot in the world, as uniformly practiced through an entire country like Japan. I do follow my mom in some stuff around the Anglican church sometimes, which she is an integral part of. Even though I'm not much of a fan of the mass and faith based stuff, my mom grew up in a small town where the Anglican church was big, she is devout in it, most of her big family also is, and I don't find this bad because the Anglican church in particular here in Brazil is probably the most progressive Christian church in the country. It accepts people from all faith, it often has round table discussions from representatives of all faiths, positions inside the church are open to all sexes, you can be married, divorced, widower or whatever, it does not have a rigid structure, it promotes several things in the LGBT community, it's pro-action (mostly in helping the poor) instead of being just ritualistic or money hungry, and it doesn't impose itself or have any authoritarian stint... which is unfortunately why it's also kinda tiny in comparison to other churches. It's more a voluntary community rather than an obligation, a gathering place for likeminded people rather than the place you are forced to go to seek salvation. Through it is where I came to understand how so many religions just became tools of oppression, mindwashing, cultism and fanatism. It is an unfortunate fact when it comes to faith and religion that sometimes the more oppressive, the more close minded, the more radical, the more rigid the structure of a religion is, the more it tends to attract people, the more people are willing to put their money into it, the more people are convinced about it. Fear and hatred are very effective tools to convince people to believe in something. Lots of people also consciously or unconsciously seek all answers in their lives to come from a single source, so churches often have to offer that because it is easier to follow and make sense of. On the opposite end of it, the way my mom's church lost most followers was by promoting hands on work, being accepting of other religions, doing work with LGBT families and communities, electing women inside church positions, inviting poor families and people into church activities, and stuff like that. It's probably the smallest church in my hometown, it's always in financial dire straits, it's always bleeding out followers, being fractured, and whatnot. Nevertheless, I am very grateful that this is the religion that my mom chose to put her faith on, out of all other options available in Brazil. She pays a steep price to keep at it, along with another group she joined - Rotary International. But it is fullfilling to her, and I admire her a lot for that, because these days it takes most of her time and money to be part of both. It's a lot of dedication, a lot of hands on service, a lot of patience for close to nothing in return. Something that I can't really say much about myself I guess. But I do hope to follow her example one day.

[@Competitive_Antagonist]

In Japan people actually show respect towards gingers.

[@googlebarbaralernerspectre2581]

The Chinese and Japanese are proper nice people. I pray they don't go into multicultural mode like Europe. America and Canada :/ no future,

[@IzumiKaya]

TheMarker2015 L.S Haha❗️gingers. Well, actually gingers play great part in Oriental herbal medicine. It’s often served with Sushi, cuz it has effect of killing germs of the raw fish. It’s often used in cooking or drinks in winter because they warm us up. In a way, the ginger isn’t as precious as the ginseng, but still important for us, haha.

[@DandyZero]

@@IzumiKaya haha you're great ♥️ sending you positive vibes

[@auroranix4162]

@@googlebarbaralernerspectre2581 Maybe it was just my experience but I was treated rudely many times in China at the hotel, restaurant and especially airport (thank goodness for the one sweet security guard who let me back in after some fresh air after literally being pushed out into a foreign country) and never in Japan was someone rude, worst case I was just ignored once but hey busy life... Im not trying to be rude of course like anywhere in the world there are proper nice people somewhere, but just saying. Also Japan is already going into multicultural mode albeit slowly.

[@auroranix4162]

@@davidesparza3637 I can respect multiculturalism but I also respect people wanting to preserve culture wherin sometimes it gets lost when too many cultures and beliefs accumulate. And it is sad.

[@sallyboy82001]

I've practiced Shinto in the America for years at Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America, and I have to say this video with description by David Chart is the best I've ever seen (also video itself filmed beautifully).

[@mozartjpn137]

Jinja was my play ground when I was a kid. My friends and I often played Ninja at the jinja.

[@Magnetmagma]

Ninja at the Jinja, cool!!!!

[@markdeguzman6556]

Rhyme 👍

[@kyuusenshi7936]

keep the tradition, let it grow, don´t let the kami alone, keep up as a person, never give up

[@tabinekoman]

Dou have scary story about jinja?

[@RustyB5000]

this is educational af. I feel like im in school again and there's gonna be a quiz at the end

[@inquisitorsquish5422]

I feel like you look like Jesse Pinkman

[@RustyB5000]

@@inquisitorsquish5422 lil bit. good call

[@miamazingness]

I would fail the quiz. I had to watch the video twice.

[@あっそう太郎-k3o]

I'm shinto priest . This video's content is very accurate and easy to understand.

[@MikeAmerica219]

Will I be able to go to Yomi ,if I do not have anyone to do the proper rituals for me? Does igazami make trouble for spirits who go there after death? Thank you for reading this 🙏 I subscribed to your channel,I hope to learn more from you 🙏

[@apurbabiswas7218]

I'd love to see more academics/intellectuals studying Japanese culture to explain more aspects of the culture like this. This was great :)

[@truluverful]

David was really interesting and endearing, he seemed to really appreciate what he was talking about and i loved the way he bowed :3

[@AbuMaia01]

While I was cringing at how he bowed. >_

[@loffagood556]

@@AbuMaia01 Because you are 12. Everything is awkward and cringy for you

[@alphaone2548]

Although it is a form of respect to bow. It isn't required to do so for foreigners. We have different cultures after all. So others might think of what the host did is weird and unnecessary.

[@SandeepSharma-sr4rj]

Due to this channel, I am getting a good view of the life in Japan without ever having been there. The videography and editing feels pleasant as well.

[@madiechicky]

This was incredibly informative! I lived in Japan for a year a wasn’t aware of all of this nuance until now. Super interesting.

[@renno2679]

This whole thing had so much awkwardness in it, but not enough to be uncomfortable.

[@daisydropper]

That is the British way

[@miamazingness]

>.>

[@eL.N.M.]

I thought I was the only one who felt that way about this vid... So different from his other video "Being Muslim in Japan"

[@chizmpop]

i felt the same, i think it's because it's scripted so the conversation doesn't flow naturally. Still a good video tho!

[@dominokos]

It's a sweet awkwardness. :)

[@purinpat]

I always love visiting Shinto shrines when I go to Japan. I love that there is a deity and a theme to them. I have been to a fish, cow, horse, cat, fox, wolf, and other shrine. They were all so unique and wonderful. I also love that each deity are meaningful to that area/region.

[@77AlexS]

Wow, really nice footage Greg! Nicely done video. Even though I’ve lived here for a couple years now, I still learned something new :D

[@lisanaga9369]

Outstanding content and editing, Greg...so well done. I have always followed most of the guidelines, but now I know WHY the guidelines exist 😊⛩

[@robwalsh9843]

In some Christian and Muslim nations, the pre-Christian/pre-Islamic past is often aggressively covered up or paved over, in a cultural sense. In Japan, Buddhism was able to blend with Shintoism. It seemed like a truly syncretic relationship.

[@MrJMB122]

There's synergization even in Christianity. most Christian Traditions own up to this energy and just say it's part of the baptism of culture. that includes baptizing religious rituals from the old culture. that's the thing those rituals will become local Traditions in that particular regional church.

[@fabiansaerve]

@@MrJMB122but it’s still different. In Japan it worked like adding something new on top of the old one. Christianity on the other hand demolished and penalised the old one. Just very tiny bits survived.

[@MrJMB122]

@@fabiansaerve you got think about it like this. How much was left? Paganism parts of these cab co-opt it bit dying. Where the church survived massive destruction under the Communist Yoke.

[@danandkiko]

An entertaining and informative video. I've been living in Japan for 15 years, but didn't know many of these specific details. David is obviously quite knowledgeable in this subject. I agree that it is essential that curious westerners understand the differences between the East and West "religions".

[@allesiosnens8152]

That’s probably my favorite Typ of religion, it’s not so forceful on its people and it looks so beautiful

[@RsZ789]

The type of religion that doesn't require anything from you in terms of self control, discipline, accountability, and structure? The kind of religion that doesn't put any restrictions on your desires. I can see why it would be appealing.

[@bongo5827]

@@RsZ789 Look from a person's PoV from JP

[@raelaash4759]

Z B It doesn't sound like you understood shintoism at all. Even if all you know about *it is what you heard and saw in this video, you should know better.

[@autisticphaglosophy7128]

@Hope(less) Absolute ignorance on display but that's not surprising you're advocating for atheism after all. Biological instinct in no way grounds a proper moral framework if you're talking about morality in any real sense at least but you seem to be inconsistent and even acknowledge that with the first thing you say about developing one's own arbitrary way because "free thinking" but then you say to choose something "more loving". Realize that atheistic naturalistic materialism can't account for any moral system being "better" over another that's completely arbitrary humans are just biological machines driven by the laws of physics and chemistry after all so don't act like such a foundation makes you have some high ground when it in fact is detrimental.

[@m1sh474]

@@autisticphaglosophy7128 you're being a hypocrite and wrongly using false equivalence and fallacies. Atheism doesn't equate to materialism, and given how rich most religious leaders are, then you sound extremely hypocrite and ridiculous. An atheist is, as a human being, not better or worse than a religious person, except that the atheist will choose to blame themselves (if they do so) when they do something wrong, instead of a (imaginary) deity, or in most cases, the devil. What difference makes growing up into a cult or, for example, Protestantism or Catholicism? None. The child still is forced to believe a god exists and should be adored, but mostly, the rules of their religion should be respected over everything else. So the person grows in this environment without actually thinking about why they believe/love this deity. I personally think that's not how fait should work but that's me. So, finally, stop being a hypocrite.

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Our follow up video: Shinto in Everyday Japanese Life kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6a9eaKqn9mlgNU

[@dydx_]

Shinto is a love letter for human creation and gratitude. Whether things exist or not is irrelevant, but what does exist are the moments of awe-inspiring beauty we encounter and the names we give them, the forms we shape for them to honor them, to express our gratitude for the fraction of life we got to experience. I guess to put it in plain words, whether gods or spirits exist is irrelevant but life is a lot more fun if we just act as if they do.

[@lazyvampire8402]

Your commment is awesome ❤

[@_aidid]

So beautifully written 💟

[@eXtremeLink859]

This is so professionally done, really reminds me of some local programming you'd see on TV back in the day. Nice job man!

[@Koreenth]

I play netflix docuseries while doing little chores but i take the time to watch and relish your videos. Its always a pleasure to watch them. Thanks so much

[@darkbidoof]

I’ve been watching your videos for almost four years now, and I really don’t think your cinematography skills get praised anywhere near enough as they should. Your documentary style videos especially look fantastic.

[@robjosling2816]

I thought this video was really well done.I really enjoyed the interview, the quality of the footage and the self deprecating manner that appears at times. Really useful information and thoroughly enjoyable. Keep up the great work and looking forward to your growth as a KZbinr!

[@johnferguson4089]

This is such great insight into a culture that I have never been aware of. As I'm 77 and an Australian, it's most unlikely that I will ever even visit Japan but that's not a reason for being ignorant of another culture. Thank you so much for the explanations and demonstrations, it gives great insight.

[@ronaldmcboggled9855]

Both of my brothers lived in Australia for a couple years and both loved it. Japan and Australia have a great work visa program between them. I will be a tourist eating meat pies and doing shoeys sometime soon. 77 is prime fighting age, we will see you soon in Japan!

[@johnferguson4089]

@@ronaldmcboggled9855 - Thank you so much for your comment but at 77 I could hardly fight my way out of a brown paper bag let alone being of fighting age. 🤣😂🤣

[@Pok0pen]

The shrine (Jinja) is very familiar to Japanese people. There is always a shrine in each area where you live (Uji-gami). The shrine is also a very sacred place, but it was also a children's playground (Asobi-ba) like a park. Today's children no longer play outside the house, but when I was a child, it was a playground where children in the neighborhood gathered and played tag (Oni-gokko).

[@MartinBlais]

Very interesting interview! David was the perfect interviewee to open a window into this world. I've been to many a jinja over my many visits to Japan yet learned some new facts in this video. Thank you for making it,

[@FenrixXumi]

I'm British. But I carry Go-en everywhere I go, and one of my Birth year too (because I know in OUR culture that carrying a coin of your birth year is supposedly good luck also) so it is like a fusion of two cultures in one act. I hope the kami of my own land bless me, and that shinto practitioners everywhere accept me, in a country where there is no shrine.

[@WalterSobchack-s8n]

I really like they way he described Shinto as "It's what you do and not what you are".. I wish all religions are like that, the world would be so much better place.

[@tovarishchfeixiao]

Or maybe the world should just adapt Shintoism together with their current religions. Because it would really make things better that way.

[@joshuapogar9290]

This is a great resource video. Thank you for taking the time to help explain Shinto.

[@Crazygirl2055]

Loved this video. Thank you so much. I recently traveled to Japan and while at the Jinja I kept thinking about religion or not but looking around I saw a lot of Japanese doing the same as me doing the touristy thing but with one difference. They paid their respects. I loved it.

[@dienand_]

3:34 I love how annoyed he seems when it gets stuck on his shoulder.

[@miamazingness]

Also, there was another one on his other shoulder. I was annoyed.

[@cosmikgazer]

I loved that part. He was looking at it like “oh, how rude! How dare you, sir!”

[@ThreadBomb]

I think he took it in good humor.

[@mentino1556]

I'm sure there's a Kami for tucked-in ties

[@ithinkitsaurus]

I didn't even notice it lol. It is unusual, and i do find it a blessing, so probably?

[@ashu-]

I am only confused how? How can that little get tuck in his belly for so long!!

[@ouphi8210]

lmao, he's a very neat english man isn't he

[@piglet2548]

Kame?

[@omkr0122]

There is! you can pray to him as 'Kakusu Kubitai Kami Sama' and he will provide you with trouble free experience with ties for many days ahead!

[@googlethis313]

I just subscribed. I was born in Japan and all things Japanese intrigue me. I’m so glad I found your channel! Absolutely stunning camera work. Your closing shot is breathtaking! 😍 Thank you!

[@LFC303606ACID]

I'm Irish, am involved in Imamiya-omikoshi, and one of our guys is a Budhist monk, I also participate in Waratenjin omikoshi. It's quite a thing to be accepted into such a unique cultural activity and be just looked upon as one of the lads, Japan is amazing.

[@ojanssensande]

That was so interesting, I like the approach the Japanese people have with religion. Not so much a religion, but more of a culture.

[@IsaacSher]

This is wonderful stuff! I wish I'd known about some of these practices before I visited Japan last year and went to several shrines and temples.

[@drix4275]

We have, in the old Greenlandic belief system, a similar word like kami which is "inua", and it means "person of"; everything had a "person of", and I think it's the exact same thing in Shintoism. It's not weird since Greenlandic people migrated from Asia a long time ago and share some common root culture. We even have "Sassuma arnaa" which means "Mother of the deep ocean", and she provided sea animals for us to eat.

[@lpi3]

Do you also have similar to 'itadakimasu' tradition?

[@drix4275]

@@lpi3 The closest one in our culture is "Takanna" which is not the exact same because it can mean "Let us eat" but is more commonly used as "You are welcome to eat" from a host's perspective.

[@yo2trader539]

I think Japanese Shinto descends from a philosophy which was once prevalent in Northeastern Eurasia. I see similarities with Tengrism which was a common cultural, religious, and philosophical practice among the Mongolic, Tungusic, and Turkic people of Northeast Asia for thousands of years. If I'm not mistaken, the Greenlandic people migrated out of Asia when Tengrism was still widely practiced.

[@localtribe2851]

it is also similiar to pre-islamic javanese. even some moslems today still pay offerings to the gods which we call it dahyang/ danyang who rule/reside/look after a sacred place/shrine. the concept of kami is similar/same as dahyang/danyang in javanese.

[@poppinc8145]

@@yo2trader539 I don't believe Tengrism was prominent among Tungusic people. Maybe you are conflating Shamanism in general with Tengrism. Furthermore, Greenlandic people and Amerindian people in general emigrated out of Northeast Asia way before Tengrism came to being. Other than that, it's true that Turkic, Tungusic, Mongolic and Yeniseian people have had a lot of cultural interactions during Antiquity. It's thought that Yeniseian people may have been the dominant group throughout the eastern steppes but were later overtaken by Tungusic and Mongolic people and that's why the suviving Yeniseian population is much farther inland to the west. Now if we go back further, all of the above along with Japanese and Korean people have a common ancestor people that originated around Manchuria, but their culture and language is separate from the later groups that descended from them. They expanded to Korea and then later to Japan.

[@ThanhNguyen-td4fo]

I think it is quite similar in Vietnam. Here 70% of Vietnamese people go to pagoda in ceremony or in lunar new year, but may be just about 1% is actually follow Buddhism. Maybe it is the influence of Confucianism, which we mainly workship our ancestors, and go to shrine. Sorry for the bad English...

[@steelguitar8587]

Thanh Nguyen your English is good!

[@TrueXyrael]

Great video, but a couple comments for people watching 4 years later... during COVID a lot of shrines shut down their fountains. Larger shrines that are better maintained mostly reopened them, but many smaller shrines have left them shut down, maybe the pipes corroded due to lack of use or something, and in these cases (as during COVID) you should have your own hand sanitizer and use it to clean your hands before entering. Same thing as visiting during winter where they turn the fountains off to keep the pipes from freezing. Also during COVID many shrines removed the ropes to ring the bell, and a lot haven't put the ropes back. While bowing and clapping is required the pray 'correctly' ringing a bell never really was, a lot of shrines had the bell removed and just had the rope even before COVID. Many jinja are adapting to the times and will have QR codes to scan for making offerings, rather than offering coins. I like the physical connection, but many times you might not have cash on hand, so look for the QR code, go-en is still good enough. Many people also aren't aware, but when you buy omamori for others, you're traditionally considered to be giving them your own luck, which is bad (it's not a gift, it's cursing yourself) and so you can ask for a special talisman from the shrine office to seal your luck. But again this is something even most Japanese people aren't aware of. Despite what this British guy says, it's *not* important that you pray correctly. In fact, his bowing is terrible by shinto standards, and is a testament to the fact no one has bothered to correct him. A priest will never confront you and correct you about bad practice unless what you're doing is rude. Many Japanese do not know the correct number of times to bow, clap, or even in what order; and as long as they are sincere in their respect then they are visiting correctly. I have even been told that some people pay their respects with rituals from other religions and not the 2-2-1 bow-clap-bow. Most people walk to shrines because they are the local park for their neighborhood, and are just repeating what their parents taught them to do, rather than learning through any formal ceremony. For example at an Izumo Taisha shrine, it is appropriate to clap four times rather than two, I think this is tied to the Izumo Taisha prayer 'saki mitama, kushi mitama, mamori tamae, sakihae tamae' but no one will correct you for clapping twice. Many (I'd say about a third of Japanese people) include a fourth, final, shallow bow which I think is similar in meaning to the kyudo 'yu' bow (which itself comes from Ogasawara-ryu etiquette) but visually looks similar to an eshaku bow.

[@naocyaka1553]

すごーい！なんでそんなに詳しくのかしら。

[@Bsuke-j1m]

礼法の誤りを指摘してくれて有難う御座います。お辞儀の仕方は、あれが正しいと誤解されと嫌だと思っていました。😢猫背で膝を折るようなおじぎは、アメリカ映画に出てくる日本人がよくやってますね。実際の日本人は絶対にあのようなおじぎはせません。日本人としては、バカにされたようなからかわれたように嫌な気持ちになっていました。

[@RogueShadowAngel]

is it bad that Shinto actually made more sense to me than Christianity which i was raised on?

[@tahiragibson6407]

RogueShadowAngel -yes, you’re going straight to hell.

[@angelinatan9441]

Tahira Gibson Anddd that’s the problem with Christianity

[@FreeCatVideos]

Aw you never took the Christianity concept did you?., Shinto is Like animism one of the oldest religions in the World its a religion that worships spirits and different Gods for example Gods of Mountains, Seas, Lands, Money and many more. While Christianity does not conform to worldy spirits. Christianity Focuses on salvation the promise of an eternal life in heaven and not of this World. Being closer to GOD and not to sin again as his commandments.

[@Mrholysymbol]

So despite the two brainwashed bad apples who can't voice their own opinions because God would punish them for saying anything against his existence I agree with you as I'm the same way Christianity always felt forceful and demanding

[@elf-lordsfriarofthemeadowl2039]

@@Mrholysymbol Imagine going into the Torii without cleansing yourself, or going there without respecting the Kami. I imagine the Priests would then be forceful and demanding. I mean this to say, Christianity may seem they way, as a lot of Religions, if you disrespect them. Almost all religions I've visited or studied are very nice to those who follow their rules. I do admit that some Christians are self-righteous and act as if its a race before death, but that is clearly not taught in the scripture.

[@kudan_sub]

As a Japanese, I would like to make a few additional points!!! 1. It is better not to pass through the approach to the shrine and the middle of the torii gate because it is the path of the gods. 2. Bowing is 90 degrees for priests, but 45 degrees is better for ordinary people. 3. A few gods will be jealous if you go to other shrines immediately after paying your respects. 4. Do not jump in hot springs!

[@Taiyo_Jingu]

It seems number 4 is a no brainer 🔥. But nice comment :)

[@20quid]

So it's just like Christmas in the west, which everyone does whether they believe or not.

[@campkira]

sort off..but they do it for luck and festival.. not just for spending and hurting each other for nothng..

[@leotard9387]

Yep

[@leotard9387]

@@campkira like a wishing well or a throwing pennies in a water fountain

[@MorgurEdits]

@@campkira hurting each other for nothing?

[@natureswrath7665]

@@arolemaprarath6615 Christmas was never Christian, Catholics just took a pagan groups holiday and twisted it to be Christian to try and convert people.

[@cl9596]

"God" is a terrible translation of "kami". True. As "demons" is a terrible translation of "yokai". I find that a bit annoying when I watch anime. They're not also spirits. They're just... Yokai

[@starshade7826]

The impression I have is that yokai is best lit-translated as "weird paranormal/supernatural thing." Whether an individual yokai is anything else varies considerably.

[@starshade7826]

For added linguistic fun, I was also reading that a few hundred years ago the English word "fairy" had a similar meaning. Long before the term was disneyfied, when fairies were still considered somewhat dangerous. As if to confirm this, I tripped over an early translation of kitsune as Fairy-Fox. Interesting isn't it?

[@cl9596]

@@f000ghk from what I understand "God", "god" and "gods" are both not accurate as they may encompass many things from spirits, to nature, and even historical figures like emperors. I think they are much different even from the likes of Greek Pantheon.

[@alexmag342]

Yokai are demons you filthy heretic

[@starshade7826]

@@alexmag342 Fairies were also considered demons by medieval Christians. Fancy ain't it?

[@Missmethinksalot1]

Absolutely loved David Chart! He has his own personal style which suits him very well. Kinda disappointed with some of the LWIF family this time, it's not like us to keep pointing out how he chooses to wear HIS tie on HIS body :)

[@DavidChart]

Thank you!

[@ninjacrumbs]

Buuuuut, did you see how David handled that tiny shimenawa at the purification station like a boss ;) I`ve been in Japan for over 20 years now, and I LOVE shrines and temples!! My Top 5 would never, never, EVER be found in a tourbook. As for his tie, I am happy that he is doing something differently in a culture where uniforimity - in many different aspects - is commonplace!!

[@OAS15]

trust me this fam is still good at least our comment sections aren't completely filled with memes

[@catiatavares7757]

Loved this!! Thank you so much for sharing with us the proper way to follow shinto rituals!

[@Skatollu]

Really appreciated Mr. Chart's expertise on what is a very interesting topic. I learned a lot about jinja and kami. Thank you for the video!

[@utkarsh2600]

Hope you and your family are safe from the typhoon in Tokyo. Take all security measures and precautions. our prayers are with you.

[@cvetanvelinov4404]

Thank you for the video. This helped me a lot to better understand Shinto and Japanese traditions.

[@cipixi2515]

Hello from France ! THAT's soooooo cool to see all those rules and traditions described with so much respect :D

[@possiblescammer]

7:55 stretch those hammis before bowing to the kammis

[@ianparmley1566]

It's a good explanation, but his bowing quite honestly sucks. No one should need to bend their knees in order to bow, you should be strong/flexible enough to get a nice near-90 degree angle without bending the knees

[@bryce4395]

@@ianparmley1566 so it's supposed to be straight legged 90 degree bow?:0

[@cristalia3233]

I'm 25 with back troubles, i can't go 90° most of the time ^^' i'd rather do less than 90° and not bend my knees....but it's maybe bad to bow less ?

[@bootysauce_]

@@cristalia3233 sounds like you need to stretch. More often than not back problems is something the person can fix with work

[@cristalia3233]

@@bootysauce_ i'd have never though of it for a chronic health issue...

[@hasanchoudhurymd]

Beautiful sincere descriptions of the most fascinating deep respectful culture in the world ! Love and respect from Missouri USA.

[@tinkerbrittany]

Me the entire video: “don’t think about Noragami don’t think about Noragami.” 6:04

[@vijayankandaswamy866]

It's so nice to see that the traditions and practices showed in this video are similar to sanatana Dharma (ancient Hinduism). Right from purifying yourself before entering the temple to the rituals students follow before taking exams. Hinduism also talks about these exact same things. Ancient Hinduism was not a religion. It was just a way of living life. To put it more simply, it just was a proper guide to live a more peaceful life aligned with nature.

[@ChethanSrinivas]

Good observation. So much similarities in our traditions.

[@Zylophila]

Thank you for your video. I'm visiting Japan in April and glad I can learn what is expected of me before I get there. I've always liked Shinto and after watching, I understand and like it ever better. I will watch more videos, keep up the great work!

[@joshk6929]

The beautiful culture is what gives Japan an identity. Japan is a country that offers so much surprises, you may not be able to explore all of it in your lifetime.

[@inihsravamyh]

This is so fascinating to me as an Indian. Especially since, most of the customs have parallels to the procedure followed in Hindu temples. Torii is almost like the pillar entrance at every Hindu holy place. Some of the similarities in procedures are not walking in the centre, ringing bell before prayed, clapping, bowing, offerings, visiting the smaller gods and then the major god the temple is dedicated to etc. It's crazy that even the direction one needs to walk out in Hindu temple is also mostly right. The last ritual is very similar to Nandiswara in Siva temples who is patted and prayed to. Differences make us unique while similarities make us all one.

[@3088sd]

I wholly agree! And also the fact that some Jinja are famous for educational blessings - reminds of temples like Chilkur Balaji where students go every year to pray for success in exams :)

[@werren894]

because there is no Hinduism to me, idk how it became doctrine when you realize, in bali ppl getting called Hindu when they are not.

[@TusharSharma-gc4vs]

@@werren894 hinduism is actually a term used the collectively describe the cultures originated in indian subcontinent. Bali is called hindu because of the influence from india. People think it is a one fixed religion, but its not.

[@rishabhrox1]

@@werren894 Hinduism at the global level is still not a fully formed doctrine. But in case of Balinese people; they are called Hindus because during the formative years of Indonesian republic they realized that if they don't register their culture and traditions as a "religion" by the standards set by Indonesian Ministry of Religion (which according to wikipedia was controlled by Islamists), their entire region might never get proper representation in the country and they might be attacked by the people of other beliefs. HENCE, they had to doctrinize their own set of philosophies and beliefs and culminate it into Balinese Hinduism to keep it united, standardized and keep their indigenous philosophies secure. Balinese are definitely Hindus, but not the exact same as Indian Hindus. They have many indigenous beliefs which naturally make them unique. In fact, even Indian Hindus are not all the same, with variations of culture between different states of the same country. Hence, Balinese Hindus and Indian Hindus can be considered distant brothers separated by geography and culture, but united by the sanctity of the ancient Vedas. ^_^

[@Dhruv-Kumar]

@@werren894 hinduism is just another animism type religion. Hindu word did not exist before the 1800s thats somwhere when British arrived and colonized India

[@ksaravanan8702]

A very good introduction to Shinto, told in a very interesting way. Special thanks to Shri. David for his lucid explanation of Shinto.

[@marvingajardo8587]

Kami in Tagalog (Filipino) means We, so it could literary mean that Gods could be many. Anyway just my thought. Love your videos.

[@ForUploadin]

Actually main racial roots of Japanese shares a lot with you guys and other Austronesian people. The basic level of Japanese cultures came from South Pacific. For example, Japanese are the northernmost taro eating people. Rice came to Japan much later than taro.