When Shinto Became a “Religion"

Special thanks to the researcher and co-writer of this episode Kaitlyn Ugoretz. Check out her new channel on Japanese religion: "Eat, Pray, Anime:" / @eatprayanime
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Kamidana photo by Nesnad: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Watch the first two episodes of the RFB Shinto Series here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p52ulomPlKumjMk

[@demianchoi655]

Any possibility of covering other forms of shamanism such as those of Mongolia, of the Sami people, etc.? Also, Merry Tidings!

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

I’m definitely open to it. I’ve considered an episode on shamanism in general.

[@tavmminqat]

Could I suggest a few different books besides "The Kami Way" by Sokyo Ono, his book is very..... let's say dated. The first one I'd like to suggest is a simple one called "Shinto Shrine" by Kato Kenji, the second is "Shinto from an International Perspective" by Yamaguchi Satoshi and its companion book "A Visual Guide to Shinto", "Shinto, Nature and Ideology in Contemporary Japan" by Aike P. Rots is an interesting view on several important paradigms of Shinto but the author does not believe Shinto existed prior to Kokka Shinto. Finally, I'd like to suggest "What is Shinto? Japan, a Country of Gods as Seen by Lafcadio Hearn" which is written by Sukehito Hirakawa and Yoko Makino.

[@tylerfanell8212]

@@ReligionForBreakfast You should have Buddhism as your next series. Even though it’s very well known in the West, many really don’t understand it. As with Confucianism, it isn’t too difficult to grasp.

[@tylerfanell8212]

@@ReligionForBreakfast Like within Buddhism the idea of a creator god is irrelevant. But then how did the world come to be, what does Buddhism say about that. And what Nirvana is

[@rachel_sj]

“Open the Country. Stop Having it Be Closed.... Also here’s what Religion is” -Matthew Perry, 1853

[@EatPrayAnime]

Always here for the Bill Wurtz History of Japan memes 😂

[@rachel_sj]

@@EatPrayAnime I gotta put one in when the comments are new!

[@EatPrayAnime]

@Rachel S Keep up the good work! 😉

[@thhseeking]

You forgot "Oh, and if you don't open up, we'll be back to bombard your city. Kthnxbye".

[@k96man]

"Also, here's a white flag with instructions on how to use it"

[@christianhowles]

It's' so interesting to hear how politics and religion intersect in Japan's history. Certainly, religion intersects with politics always and everywhere but here it was first an internal reaction to colonialism that placed a set of religious doctrine on the people. Then because the US came after WW2 and did the same in the name of personal freedom. However, from what I'm hearing it seems like Shintoism is so intertwined with the state that having those two systems coexist presents a bit of a contradiction. Also, the concept of having to define terms that don't exist in your language yet is just so fascinating

[@Magnulus76]

State Shinto was the exoteric aspect of the national ideology, but the esoteric aspect was always western modernization. A strong centralized government was just Japan imitating western nationalism at the time. Most nations in Europe and the US were bent towards nationalism, and Japan was not unique.

[@I.AlexiosLucullus]

Ever since the production of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki and the Taika reform, Shintoism has been strongly attached to the Japanese state. For example, look at the robes Shinto priests wear i.e. kanmuri cap, eboshi, kariginu, round necked Noshi robes and the Sokutai. They are literally the court robes aristocrats and statesmen wore during the Heian period. That's because important members of the Shinto clergy at the time were also powerful state figures and so the fashion of the court crossed over into the issue of their Shinto clergy as there never had been a set uniform for Shinto priests. Heian fashion is now the rigour for Shinto vestments. And Buddhism also played a major role in state affairs. So much so emperor Kanmu had to move the capital from Heijo Kyo or Nara to Heian Kyo or Kyoto in order to escape the growing influence of the Buddhist temples (in particular Todai Ji). Even monastics eg. monks and nuns actively took part in high state politics as there was no expectation for them to lead a ascetic life away from the court. They did this overtly or covertly behind the scenes eg 'Insei' or cloistered rule. Insei was a practise used by the late Heian emperors who wanted to challenge the power of the Fujiwara clan but couldn't do so while in formal office so they retired as Buddhist monks and influenced the court behind the scenes and this practise continued well after the Heian period ended and Fujiwaras fortunes and influence diminished.

[@piperar2014]

"They brainwashed their people into thinking it was their god-given destiny to take over the world? How could anyone fall for something like that?" - Great-grandson of James K Polk

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

Ah the irony.

[@hermescarraro3393]

😂

[@SulienSulis]

I am the cousin of James Knox Polk. Who is the Great Grandson?

[@piperar2014]

@@SulienSulis Nothing ruins a joke like explaining the joke.

[@johnbarker256]

@@piperar2014 thats not an explanation thats a comment on a personal relationship hes observed in his life

[@nolynylon]

Props on the Majora's Mask sound effects

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

The best Zelda game.

[@namingisdifficult408]

@@ReligionForBreakfast I’m more of a Twilight Princess guy, but I can respect that.

[@nolynylon]

@@ReligionForBreakfast there is a KZbin channel called Good Blood that has a video on the effect of Shinto on the worldbuilding in Zelda games

[@corsaircaruso471]

I’m actually just playing it for the first time, on my 2DS, and the sound effect jumped out at me.

[@phineas7423]

@@ReligionForBreakfast correction: the best game.

[@joaocoelho1029]

If we take the latin word 'religio", that means religion as a set of public rituals and festivals to please or appease the gods, shinto seems to be a religion.

[@ikengaspirit3063]

And if so shouldn't it then be treated the same way as Christianity when trying to implement the ideas of separation of church and state.

[@elfarlaur]

Indeed, but the definition of religion has changed over time

[@gomeslucas9785]

You're applying western concepts to Japan. The point is that religion, faith and culture work differently within different cultures and regions

[@Jumpoable]

@@gomeslucas9785 Western idea/belief of "religion" (Judeo-Christian) is that it is a be-all, end-all BELIEF SYSTEM. No buts, you believe this, & you go to heaven after you die. It's a LOT more complex in the East with Hindu-Buddhist thought & Taoist philosophies (basically psychology/ mindfulness/ meditation/ vegetarian diet) & in the case of Japan, Shinto (basically a refined form of animism/shamanism) & also other forms of cultural shamanism that is still very popular in South Korea & parts of Mongolia/Siberia.

[@joaocoelho1029]

What I said is more like food for thought. Because judaism was ancient and public most romans considered it a religio, but christianity was new, practiced in private gatherings and refused to sacrifice to the gods (antisocial behavior), so it was viewed as a superstitio, not a religio.

[@jdmbapastor5172]

Every day with a Religion for Breakfast upload is a good day!

[@jsonitsac]

1. Did you come across the case of Uchimora Kanzo? He was an American educated Protestant high school teacher who caused controversy when he refused to bow to a portrait of the Meiji Emperor and his wife in 1891 citing his beliefs. He was forced out of his job and the controversy fueled hard line nationalists who argued he insulted the "Kokutai" or national spirt of Japan. 2. The doctrine of Kokutai, or "national spirit," was undergirded by State Shinto beliefs and was an important part in the hard line nationalism and militarism that came to engulf Japan. Kokutai promoted an idea of a special uniqueness to Japan and the way they told it, the emperor was the embodiment of Kokutai. This partially how emperor worship becomes a thing because it was prominent within the military and the military did not answer to civilian leadership in pre-war Japan. So it formed an ideological basis for their militarism and expansionism. 3. The Showa emperor made a few post war visits to Yasukuni and naturally they were highly controversial when he did that. His son, the now retired emperor Heisei never visited the shrine. 4. The most interesting case involving religion and state in Japan is a 1988 Japanese Supreme Court Ruling in the matter of Nakaya Takafumi. In that case Nakaya was a Japanese Self Defense Officer killed in a car crash in 1968. Four years earlier prefectural officials had worked with the local Gokoku shrine to enshrine SDF officers killed in the line of duty there. Nakaya was not religious during life but his wife had become Christian and they held a Christian funeral. She objected to the enshrinement and tried to sue the shrine and officials to stop it. However, the Japanese Supreme Court sided with the shrine and SDF arguing that it wasn't a mixing of religion and state. 5. Interesting fact about Omoto - Ueshiba Morihei who founded Aikido was a member of Omoto and it influenced some of his teachings for the martial art.

[@EatPrayAnime]

Very interesting points! My own research deals with kokutai and Kokugaku discourse in a contemporary context. Keep a lookout for Ep. 4, where we'll mention Rev. Barrish, Aikido master and Shinto head priest (guji) of Tsubakai Grand Shrine of America! I look forward to your take on upcoming episodes. 😄--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto series researcher and co-writer

[@ihab2002ahmad]

How were the native japanese christians (like the catholics) treated during the meiji restoration? Were they persecuted?

[@Magnulus76]

Omoto came out of Konkokyo, which was a "salvationist", Shinto-based new religion in 19th century Japan. Both religions had conflicts with the Japanese state at various times due to their doctrines and practices. Omoto in particular had a period of strong nationalistic sentiments, despite the fact it eventually was persecuted by the government.

[@Magnulus76]

@@EatPrayAnime There is debate as to whether religions like Omoto or Konkokyo are Shinto or separate religions. Both are religions that are universal in outlook and not everybody that practices them are Japanese. Many Japanese-American "Shinto" practitioners in the US are actually affiliated with Konkokyo, as the religion was brought by missions to Hawaii and the west coast of the US.

[@EatPrayAnime]

@@Magnulus76 These are great observations! The blurriness of the distinctions between Sect/Kyoha Shinto, “Shinto-based” faiths, and “new religious movements” is one of the things that makes Shinto studies so fascinating. Konkokyo has certainly been quite forward-thinking in terms of missionizing outside of Japan, and we actually invited a Konkokyo priest to review this episode’s script. And Omoto, Ueshiba Morihei, and Aikido have some really interesting contemporary relationships with Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. These tie well into my own research on online Shinto communities and non-Japanese Shinto practitioners, which we’ll cover a bit in Ep. 4-I look forward to hearing your take! 😃

[@johnmanno9701]

Yes. Swearing on a Bible, "One Nation under God", and "In God We Trust" are all religion based. Nation states are founded in mysticism. The Meiji were just doing what the European powers (specifically Prussia) were doing, and what the Americans were/are doing.

[@cahallo5964]

@@elgatofelix8917 Yeah I agree but this channel is about Theology not politics.

[@dylanrichardson199]

It's true that many nation states are founded in large part by religious movements and nationalism often intermingles with religious predispositions, but I don't see nationalism as being nessecarily subject to the impact of religious motivations. Nationalistic pride is a motivating force in it's own right. There is no reason to believe that religious nationalism can't subside into plain nationalism.

[@cahallo5964]

@@dylanrichardson199 Ok, nations do not exist without religion and therefore nationalism is inherently at least partially religious.

[@NovaSaber]

@@elgatofelix8917 No, if they count as religious, then it's unconstitutional for the state to have established them in the first place.

[@dylanrichardson199]

@@cahallo5964 religious studies, not theology.

[@rosswebster7877]

Well done as always RFB! Other Japanese topics I’d like to see: Soka Gakkai and it’s unique position within Japanese and global Buddhism The Khrishitan sect(descendants of the first Christian converts who went into hiding) in southern Kyushu.

[@EatPrayAnime]

Great suggestions! Levi McLaughlin's "Soka Gakkai's Human Revolution" amzn.to/37GK67Q and Miyazaki, Nakai, and Teeuwens (eds.) "Christian Sorcerers on Trial" amzn.to/2WDtTdn are recent favorite reads of mine on these topics 😁

[@MrGksarathy]

The development of Shinto in the 19th century seems to have some parallels with the development of Hinduism around the same time. It's only because of western contact and anti-colonial backlash that the term ever came to be used to describe a "religion".

[@shashwatsinha2704]

Why didn't contact with islam do that?

[@MrGksarathy]

@@shashwatsinha2704 Can't say. It just didn't. Maybe because Muslims at the time weren't concerned with classifying the native traditions they encountered beyond a basic level. I mean, modern religious studies and anthropology did not exist.

[@rishabhrox1]

@@shashwatsinha2704 Islam didn't come and dominate India en masse until the Delhi Sultanate and subsequently Mughals came, and even among the Mughals, it was not until Aurangzeb that Indian population ever faced Islam as a fundamental and rigid religious doctrine, as he put North and Central India under strict Sharia. So contact with Islamic rulers except Nadir Shah and Aurangzeb was more of a cultural contact at large than religious. That is why so many islam-origin indian musical and poetry genres are respected till date in India. British pretty much took over India en masse, with nearly the entire territory under their control very quickly and since they primarily came with the aim of exploiting resources and going to any lengths for achieving that, which led Indians, who already had a bad experience with aurangzeb in the past, to codify their religion so as to be more organized and defend themselves better in case someone tried to attack their identity, their culture or their way of life by force or without truly syncretizing with india's indigenous beliefs and cultures.

[@shashwatsinha2704]

@@rishabhrox1 my thought process regarding this has changed since i wrote the comment. I now differentiate between 'dharma' and religion.

[@welcometonebalia]

I don't know if it has been translated into English, but I've read in a French translation (*Morts pour l'Empereur : la question du Yasukuni*) a very interesting book by Takahashi Tetsuya about the issue regarding the Yasukuni shrine. The author clearly argues that Japanese prime ministers visiting the Yasukuni, although they pretend it is a purely private matter, is actually politically motivated and linked to right-wing revisionism about WW2 especially. And people such as Koizumi Jun'ichirô or Abe Shinzô really were into such revisionism.

[@Nomad1992]

The debate regarding national religion vs civic rituals is interesting since in Egyptology many Egyptologists used to think religion didn't really exist and instead it was all political kind of rituals where the only contact with the divine was through the king, but now this is changing with more evidence for personal piety without it necessarily being tied to the kingship.

[@MeaningOfReligion]

A nice and nuanced explanation of how religion is conceived differently between the United States and Japan. Well-done, informative and enlightening. We need to think how religion shapes and is shaped by the public political and cultural spheres.

[@EatPrayAnime]

Thank you, I couldn't agree more! --Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto series researcher & co-writer

[@gomeslucas9785]

I love this series and channel. You take a very anti-orientalistic approach to these videos, which sometimes is lacking in american historiography/sociology, specially here on youtube. thanks!

[@EatPrayAnime]

Thank you so much, that's exactly what we're going for! --Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@gomeslucas9785]

@@EatPrayAnime I'm in the first year of university doing a History major here in Brazil, these kinds of videos help spark interest in different fileds of research, you know so thx again! After this series I'm definitely joining the japanese studies laboratory. Just subbed to your channel too, hope it grows!

[@EatPrayAnime]

@@gomeslucas9785 that's awesome, thank you so much! Good luck with your studies ^_^

[@harryjbingham7216]

I'm curious what is Anti-Orientalism? This comment sparked my curiosity and a google search didnt enlighten me.

[@EatPrayAnime]

@@harryjbingham7216 That's a great question! I'll try to give a short answer. The academic theory of Orientalism as applying to Western scholarship about "the East" originally comes from Edward Said's famous 1978 book "Orientalism." He gives three basic and related definitions of Orientalism: 1) as an academic field (now broken up into area studies), 2) as a style of thought that distinguishes and compares the "Occident" vs. the "Orient" (aka Us vs Them/the Other) through essentialist arguments, and 3) as an institution that 'does' Orientalism (academia, colonial governments, etc). It's a pet peeve of a lot of Asian studies specialists that older scholarship and contemporary media often perpetuate romantic Orientalist stereotypes such as "Oh, Japan is so ancient and traditional and mysterious and hard to understand because they are fundamentally different from Us in some way." At the center of it all, romanticism/essentialism (positive and negative) and imperialism/colonialism often go hand in hand. And the perpetuation of these kinds of arguments and 'knowledge' is a kind of domination/control and, honestly, pretty lazy in terms of scholarship. So arguing against this line of thinking, by critically historicizing and contextualizing 'Eastern' cultures or countries and doing the same for 'Western' culture or countries, could be called Anti-Orientalism. Of course we can still appreciate other cultures and religions, but there are better ways to do so than Orientalism. I hope that helps! 🙂--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@arielfelts9111]

As a polytheist viewer it's awesome to see more religious diversity from my favorite Religious Studies scholar. May your Ancestors smile on your deeds, and may luck be with you. Keep up the good work!

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Glad to hear it! Aiming for 2021 to have much more diverse topics.

[@arielfelts9111]

@@ReligionForBreakfast that's wonderful to hear! I have lots of connections with influential thinkers in Heathenry and other revivalist/reconstructionist polytheist traditions. If you ever get around to the topic and need people for interviews do not hesitate to ask. I can always arrange it. 😊

[@dylantennant6594]

I agree. I think paganism and polytheism is often forgotten in favour for monotheism like Christianity or even religions where gods are second nature like Buddhism. So it’s very nice to learn more about a polytheist religion like Shinto and show how polytheism is still strong in the world. I hope Asatru, Tao, Kemetic and Hellenic paganism get videos some day. May the Yule Father bless you all this season.

[@Manoatevarua]

@@dylantennant6594 Polytheism is Paganism and don’t forget Huna (Polynesian Folk religion) it’s still strong in the South Pacific.

[@dylantennant6594]

@@Manoatevarua not nessicarly. Paganism and polytheism are closely related, but not every pagan religion is a polytheistic religion. Atenism was a pagan religion and that’s monotheistic, same with the Mithraism (possibly), Australian Aboriginal religion, etc. So yes, while Pagans are often polytheistic, it is possible to be monotheistic and pagan. Also, yes, power to Huna. Long live the gods of Polynesia!

[@davidellett9316]

"Could your ports BE any more open?" - Commodore Matthew Perry, Tokyo, 1853

[@nomadicmonkey3186]

08:27 "State supported Shinto was totally abolished" if only that was true! Religious studies scholars such as Shimazono Suzumu have argued State Shinto has outright persisted if only in more insidious and opaque ways, in no small part because the emperor never ceased to practice their "private" imperial rites that steadfast proponents of State Shinto have claimed validate the sanctity and continuity of an eternal nation with the emperor at its centre, the defeat and subsequent democratisation of Japan notwithstanding to their eyes. To add some more context though it was no historical irony that State Shinto didn't disappear as thoroughly as it should have, when it was the GHQ, ambitious-to-run-for-presidency Douglas MacArthur in particular, that assured the Japanese government higher-ups after their surrender that he wouldn't abolish the entire imperial institution nor would he accuse the emperor for war crime, in order to make sure postwar Japan would not go chummy with the Soviets as well as facilitating the US-led occupation process. This highly political move aligned diabolically well with the Japanese establishment's agenda to prioritise preserving the imperial system over anything else at any cost, as they had feared their horribly mistreated citizens' potential rebellion (to which they believed continued presence of the emperor was the only solution, having little interest in alleviating their subject-citizens' abject conditions, being rich industrialists, aristocrats or high-ranking officers themselves) even more than the prospect of the Allies landing on the Japanese mainland well into the onset of 1945.

[@EatPrayAnime]

Excellent point! It is so important to compare what a law/directive/propaganda/discourse/institution says it wants to accomplish/has accomplished vs. the behind-the-scenes and reality on the ground. Shimazono Susumu, John Breen, Mark Mullins, and Levi McLaughlin (to name a few) are conducting necessary research in this area in terms of contemporary Shinto. This would be a great subject for a companion episode in future Shinto seasons! --Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto series researcher/co-writer

[@Magnulus76]

Good points. That's one of the reasons that Japan is one of the most conservative countries in Asia- it's all part of the post-WWII anti-Communist regime that was ultimately propped up by the US itself. White Protestants in the US quickly realized that they had to grant a certain dignity and sovereignty to these "pagans" and their ways, if it meant keeping another domino falling to Communism.

[@profjeff9]

This is excellent! I've always wanted to learn more about Shinto.

[@EatPrayAnime]

I'm so glad to hear that! As one of a very small group of Shinto specialists outside of Japan, sometimes I wonder if people really care to learn more about Shinto. So it always makes my day when people do 😁 If you'd like to learn more about religion in Japan and pop culture, you might enjoy my new channel, Eat Pray Anime! --Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@seadawg93]

How wonderful! I have, tbh, never found Shinto that interesting (...didn’t THINK it was that interesting) ...I was SO wrong! I went back and watched the first two videos and am Very excited about the next two!!!

[@EatPrayAnime]

Oh I'm so glad to hear that, thank you! 😄--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@KonradAdenauerJr]

After Yasukuni shrine enshrined Hideki Tojo and the other convicted Japanese war criminals, Emperor Hirohito was so displeased, he boycotted the shrine for the rest of his life. His successors have done the same.

[@lshulman58]

I vote for confucianism. For me, this is the hardest one to decide what it is: religion??social/political/humanistic philosophy? I do like to use it as a test case for where to draw the line between religion and non-religion.

[@ikengaspirit3063]

I think the category of religion should be done away with.

[@tylerfanell8212]

@Ishulman I think Buddhism should be the next series to cover. There’s much that is not known about it. While Confucianism is quite simple to grasp

[@willyyeremi5284]

*Visible confused confucian

[@hermescarraro3393]

I mean... Confucianism was created to teach the people how to live. It's 100% political. the only religious elements are Confucius love of ancestor worship and the belief in Heaven as a sentient divine entity that grants power to the rulers. The thing with China is that... No one really identifies as something... Buddhism, confucianism, daoism, shamanism, ancestor worship etc. They practice all of them at one. (Ignore their government, they know nothing🤷) Only the priests and the monks identify as something specific. You will never find a chinese praying to a specific god (christians, jews and muslims excluded) or a specific bodhisatva... They like to mix it up. It's more convenient👌

[@lshulman58]

@@tylerfanell8212 I suspect that confucianism is misleadingly little known in the west that it only APPEARS to be simple. We are only seeing the tip of the iceburg. much LESS known than Buddhism

[@superbfruitpigeon]

The intersection of politics and religion is so fascinating! I wrote a paper on this a year back and it was so interesting to look at how differently religion is viewed in japan versus the united states or western europe

[@NathanS__]

A mini series on another fictional religion like you did on Zelda would be really cool. I would like to see the influences of real world religious practices had on the Mandolarian warrior-faith from Star Wars.

[@EatPrayAnime]

Ooh, that sounds really interesting! This is the way. 😉--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@TacticusPrime]

State Shinto has always reminded me of Emperor veneration in the pre-Christian Roman Empire. They also didn't see the Imperial cult as divorced from the state, and patriotism required performing those rituals. That's one of the key reasons Christians were considered dangerous. They weren't upholding the society by participating in the public rituals of state.

[@Taiyo_Jinja]

Interesting comparison.

[@marshawoods4983]

I’ve always thought you do a great job keep up the good work

[@herbliss33]

interesting how both Sanatana Dharma / Dharmic WAY of life (in particular Buddhism 卍) and the Shinto way have co-existed in Japan for ages, and they intersect and intermingle (some dharmic temples have shinto idols, temples and shrines close together, etc) ... yet the Abrahamic branch of religion/way has not fluorished or been established so much ... (Buddhism/Dharma being more compatible with Shinto -- not "Monotheistic" -- and more a way of life than worship of a single deity) -- paleolithic Japan also has some of the oldest polished stone tools known on earth (30,000+ years old), around 10,000 years older than other parts of the world, and has underwater structures from when the sea level was lower -- maybe the "Kami" creators of Japan they referred to were a remnant of an antediluvian/mostly lost people - it also has the worlds oldest known monarchy bloodline - genetic studies also show that the ancient/paleolithic/older people of Japan were not the same as modern east Asians, and that the Yamato Japanese have possibly around 30% of the ancient genetics, others vary, then there are Ainu, etc., it is complicated but there were something and a peoples in Japan way way back. .. when sea levels were lower ...

[@azote339]

shinto and hinduism are both folk based ancient polytheistic religions, just the same as the old greek, nordic an roman religions with the difference that they eventually left it over time since they didn't know it better, indians and japanese still hold on to these.

[@losttribe3001]

Nordic Paganism is coming back strong. I’m married to a Norwegian and you might be surprised at how fast people are going back to the “old ways”.

[@shashwatsinha2704]

Who told you Hinduism is polytheistic? Being a Hindu myself I can tell you that there are many schools of Hinduism which are monotheistic. There is also a school which denies the existence of God/gods as a whole.

[@leif6534]

Loved this series dude, keep it up

[@therasbull]

Great work!

[@jennypendel301]

Thank you for the always informational and entertaining content! Curious about Astrotheurgy and your studies in that area 🤔

[@sarahbuehler6785]

Hey! Thank you so much, I am loving learning about Japanese religion. I would like to know if you have a video about the 16th century introduction to Christianity in Japan. I am trying to learn as much as I can

[@pCadavez]

Man these videos are fantastic, thank you very much

[@EatPrayAnime]

Thank you for watching! 😃--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto series researcher & co-writer

[@kamzrade5477]

Fascinating subject! You should consider covering Aramaic. As soon as you are done with whatever series you have lined up of course. Aramaic seems to be important for biblical translation as far as I understand it. It seems to be mentioned alot but never properly explained. If you have already covered this and I missed it then just ignore me 😂. Amazing program you have here. Thank you!

[@olinayoung6287]

Excellent, thank you!

[@christianhowles]

Love the new setting! Very cool

[@EatPrayAnime]

Right?! Background goals 😍

[@redapol5678]

I thought maybe you forgot about the 3rd part. So glad you were able to make all 3! Thank you!

[@EatPrayAnime]

Thank you for watching! Eps. 4 and 5 are in the works!😃--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto series researcher & co-writer

[@redapol5678]

@@EatPrayAnime even better! Thank you!

[@jonburkhart8798]

Picturing Matthew Perry from friends dressed like a stereotypical Buccaneer.

[@EatPrayAnime]

Haha if I had a nickel for every time a student made a Friends joke, I'd have... well, a lot of nickels 😅--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto series research/co-writer

[@recon441]

I'm looking forward to a video on Confucianism 😊 I once saw an infographic about how it's main philosophy is to "live an ordinary life" which appeals to me, so I'd like to learn more. Great content as always!

[@andrewsuryali8540]

That sounds totally off. Confucius specialized in making the ordinary life needlessly complicated. It's the most basic tenet of Confucianism that one should NOT be content with living an ordinary life and must strife at all times to continue cultivating oneself into a moral and upright person in line with the social norms of the Zhou. So you're a farmer? Well, don't be content going to the field all the time. You should continuously improve your art of farming to make your plot of land the best-yielding possible so you can contribute the most grain to the State. You know how the Pokemon theme song starts? THAT's Confucianism in a nutshell.

[@recon441]

@@andrewsuryali8540 Well what can you really learn from an infographic right? That's why I'm looking forward to a video dissertation 😊

[@I.AlexiosLucullus]

@@andrewsuryali8540 Well Confucius himself never envisioned his ideas evolving to a culture of career climbing and overly ambitious scholar bureaucracy. He believed in hard work and tireless self application into whatever field you happen to be in whether you are a humble peasant working in the fields, a craftsman creating exquisite pieces, a merchant honestly selling his wares or a honest and diligent scholar official working in local or central administration. Legalism (which overtime became integrated into Confucianism) created the highly stratified society with the central bureaucracy at the heart of state governance focused on rationality with aim towards utter efficiency and maximum productivity to the point of burdening the populace in terms of governance and economic output realized under Qin Shi Huang and his minister Li Si. And this trend of career climbing scholar bureaucrats intensified from the Song dynasty onwards.

[@tinawelch3005]

1.15 i am not alone in wondering about this. Thank you!!

[@sohaibology]

I would like to plug my current read, Prof Jolyon Thomas's "Faking Liberties: Religious Freedom in American-Occupied Japan." It explores the idea of religious freedom as an American Imperial project and how the US "created State Shinto to destroy it."

[@timmyt603]

As always, great video! I'm digging the new look.....I think you look really cool AND smart. I know that sounds cheesy but it's not sarcasm lol just wanted to relay that

[@humanity600]

Again, can I just say, amazing religion with a crazy amount of lore.🔥💯

[@BioluminescentTree]

9:49 actually that's Italian artwork

[@shatrunjaymall8721]

Fascinating and very informative! Thank you for this episode and this series! It clarifies many matters even for those of us who study and are interested in Japan and East Asia. It would be interesting to hear an episode about modern and "new religious movements" in Japan, but also elsewhere. A host of "new religious movements" emerged in modern Japan with connections to Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, and others, with some of them like Tenrikyō, Sōka Gakkai, and others being a major part of the contemporary Japanese religious landscape. "New religions" generally get short shrift on the internet and are usually conflated (unfairly I would say) with dangerous and criminal organizations like Aum Shinrikyo, which committed the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo Subway in 1995. A nuanced take is the need of the hour.

[@user-ys8xe1xd2x]

Politicians in the Meiji era thought that "A powerful religon like Christianity is necessary to create a modern nation." So,"state Shinto" is an interesting experiment to create a modern nation using ancient folk religions. I like that Shinto is clumsy designed, because the same thing happened when Chinese and Indian cultures entered Japan in ancient times.

[@shashwatsinha2704]

Being a Hindu myself, I never really understood what separates Hinduism, Shintoism, Buddhism, etc. I consider them to be the same thing with different labels.

[@jayantkamble6082]

@@shashwatsinha2704 Buddhism is a just philosophy, don't have any personal culture but mixed with indigenous cultures, wheras Shintoism is culture of Japan. Hinduism is consist of both philosophy and culture of India. Japanese culture and Indian culture both are largely different and limited to particular regions, Buddhism is neutral in this way.

[@shashwatsinha2704]

@@jayantkamble6082 Good point.

[@ameribeaner]

Great video, love how you teach about religions while being respectful, informative and not religious. I hope you’re studying about Zoroastrianism bc it’s super fascinating and has a big impact on the world as it is. I believe it’s just a lot to study over and you’re giving it it’s due diligence.

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Thank you so much for the encouragement! Yes, I will publish a Zoroastrianism video in 2021.

[@ameribeaner]

@@ReligionForBreakfast I’m considering this a Christmas present and it’s just what I’ve always wanted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

[@thhseeking]

Given the involvement of the megachurch/evangelicals in U.S. politics recently, I was amazed at what point 1 of the Shinto Directive said. Wow....what happened?

[@aezterx]

2:10 🗣 *Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu* were true visionaries who saved the country from christian conquest!

[@danandkiko]

Great informative video. I live in Japan and did not know many of those facts.

[@Texasmade74]

Some of the different Shinto doctrines or teachings over the centuries are as follows Ko-Shintō,Watarai Shinto,Yoshida Shinto,Fukko Shinto,and more

[@billtheslink4541]

Very cool. Suggestion for future video:. Deism and possibly it's Effects on government and it's contribution to Freemasonry.

[@Zeitgeist329]

what do you think make a video about the Golden Bough from James Frazer.

[@raystephens9550]

Thank you. Live long & prosper

[@zemotheon12987]

How did earlier western influence (prior to Commodore Perry) interact with Shinto?

[@SlowDoomer]

Great video! Thank you for your work! You mentioned your videos on American Civic Religion. It is so fascinated and informative to think of American Civic behavior as religious. In the same way, do think that people’s political orientations can be thought of as religions? If so, would you ever make a video about it? Thanks again!

[@reveranttangent1771]

The distinction between religion and non religion sounds like a potential basis for persecution

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Definitely. Religious freedom law by definition applies to religion. So defining religion is high stakes!

[@EatPrayAnime]

It certainly was and is! If you're interested in learning more about religion, law, and persecution, check out Dr. Jolyon Baraka Thomas's recent award-winning book "Faking Liberties: Religious Freedom in American-Occupied Japan." It blew my mind and was a major reference for this episode! amzn.to/37LB6hy

[@UltimateW910]

I was wondering, does every Religion have an end of the world scenario such as Rapture leading into Armageddon? Or Ragnarok? If there are any books on religious end of the world scenarios other then Christian or Norse faith could you tell me the name of them? Please and thank you, also, love your channel

[@ELS-tone]

I respect your move to longer series with wider range of topics, but I did enjoy the specificity of your earlier videos. This is barely scratching the surface of an entire religion and even an hour and a half is nothing like enough time for it. It's good content still

[@EatPrayAnime]

I totally know what you mean! Whenever I give an hour and a half lecture, I feel like I barely get going; writing an episode under 2000 words is so painful as a scholar. But, I hope we are laying the groundwork for more specific episodes in future seasons! And if you'd like to learn more details about religion in Japan specifically, you might enjoy my new channel, Eat Pray Anime 😄--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@andychuc3273]

Awesome you should do one of the Cruzo'ob Maya faith which originated in 1850 between the Maya people .

[@ariadgaia5932]

I'm interested in Shamanism ~ Mind looking into it?

[@r.muller8289]

The last topics remind me of a certain Chinese actor who got straight up blacklisted in the mainland (and even had his scenes censored in more recent dramas) for attending a wedding in one of these Shinto shrines related to some Japanese generals that invaded China back in the Pacific War. Complicated issue to opiniate on as a westener, but it showcases a little bit of the current situation.

[@albertito77]

3:32 the separation of church and state as commonly understood today is an extremely new concept, and my not have been widely held when the Americans arrived

[@JS-rh9zi]

Please please please can you cover Kabbalism?

[@loverdeadly6128]

Great vid! The part about how Shinto can’t be seen as a religion in the same way as Protestantism was especially fascinating to me. I’m a non-theistic Satanist and I feel the same way about my “religion.” It can’t be understood the same as my country’s hegemonic Christian religion because the way I interact with it isn’t similar at all to Christianity. I think looking at this perspective could be beneficial to Satanism as it evolves and comes into its own as a non-theist religion.

[@EatPrayAnime]

Thanks for watching! I think you'll enjoy our upcoming Ep. 4, even more food for thought on IF contemporary Shinto is categorized as a religion, then what kind and why? 🤔--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto series researcher/co-writer

[@natureswrath7665]

Do you have a denomination of Satanism you follow, (cos, tst, tos, etc) or are you an individual satanist?

[@spencerkoelle184]

Yeah, he did a video on types of satanism too

[@user-fl7by8in5o]

👍 good video

[@romajimamulo]

6:27 Omoto didn't just not venerate the Kami behind the emperor, it also claimed that that Kami was an evil thief trying to keep Japan under a tyrant. It's also one of the few religions that place importance on the constructed language Esperanto, and believes that he's a Kami

[@ExpensiveGun]

I believe The Last Samurai was actually based on the Satsuma Rebellion, not the Boshin War. It takes place well into the Meiji Era.

[@nathanoliver9237]

The last Samaria has based on the conflict just after that one

[@JulianApostate]

I love this Shinto series

[@EatPrayAnime]

Thank you! We've loved creating it! 😄--Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@bentoth9555]

When the move to State Shinto hit a fever pitch the founding president of my Buddhist organization, Tsunesaburo Makkiguchi, was thrown into prison for refusing to enshrine a talisman to the emperor. He died in prison, sadly.

[@MNkno]

Thank you for this clear look at a picture of a religion that doesn't fit the same boundaries as Judeo-Christian-Muslim monotheism. I'm looking forward to your examination of Confucianism, as it impacts Chinese, Korean, and Japanese culture deeply, particularly with the relation of the individual and the public order. I do hope you get into the different schools of Confucian thought in their feudal period explained in "Visions of Virtue in Tokugawa Japan by Tetsuo Najita, and not distracted by the "Confucius Institutes" today, which are basically overseas Chinese language schools run by the CCP. Did you know that neither China nor Korea had Humanities departments on the university level until very, very recently? The University of Tokyo has been working on a new department, the East Asian Academy for New Liberal Arts, www.eaa.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/about/organization/ and www.eaa.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ Best wishes for your research!

[@dreadinside654]

Bro, I hope you can cover topic on Zoroastrianism. For general knowledge purpose.

[@Chamdar17]

"...abide by the separation of church and state, that is to say, be separate from public life..." Woah, what?!!! THAT idea is very VERY modern and was not AT ALL what the concept was in 1853 or earlier! "Separation of Church and State", prior to the late 20th century and the rise of secularism, and as early as Constantine in Rome, meant FREEDOM of religious belief from STATE control. That idea, FREEDOM, was what was alien to them. Shinto was established as a state religion, a set of rituals that kept the common people united and subservient to the State. Christians had already been to Japan before 1853, specifically Catholics. It just so happens that they ended up persecuted and slaughtered as enemies of the State, which is fairly accurate. In the Meiji Restoration, this happened again as the State Religion was set firm. This ended when the west destroyed the Japanese "State" in WWII and Shinto was only allowed to persist as a religion alongside Christianity and Buddhism in western-established freedom of religion, or it could die. The western authorities were correct. Where they missed was describing the Shinto emperor as a mix of the British PM and AB of Canterbury when really they should have just pointed to the British king or queen since that is what Anglicanism is and was the reason for the First Amendment in the US Constitution, similar to most religio-political leaders throughout history - one leader with authority over church and state. On the "blurred lines" between religion and politics in America, you mention the "emotional response" Americans have to the topic - the key part is that Christianity established the freedom for Americans to publicly HAVE those differing responses by SEPARATING State authority over religious belief and practice. The swearing in on a Bible comes and goes, it is not insisted upon but is part of the Christian legacy of America. The Pledge didn't include "under God" until politicians introduced it as a means of uniting Americans (or so they thought) against tyrannical Atheist powers in the 20th century, powers which AGAIN were removing the hallowed separation of church and state. It is thanks to the brave men and women who held those beliefs and were willing to fight and die for your freedom to hold differing ones that we do not have what the Japanese had, what the British have to a lesser degree still, the belief that "separation of church and state" is NOT about separating your faith from public life but preventing the public or the state from such control.

[@Chamdar17]

@Beef Supreme That is incorrect.

[@boogerie]

Interesting article on Yukio Mishima's "Emperor Worship" with special reference to Shinto www.libraryofsocialscience.com/essays/kimura-mishima/index.html

[@Triring65]

Japan's early on introduction of Catholic Christianity during the warring states (Sengoku jidai) is another interesting theme. You should also look into the murky theories concerning the introduction of Judaism into Shinto by the Hata clan in 8th century. Hata clan is known to be immigrants and one of the festivals that they had started, "Gion Maturi" is said to be a recreation of the fable of Noah.

[@andrewsuryali8540]

The Hata clan were immigrants from China. They have in the past claimed to be descended from the imperial house of Qin. Their use of the kagome mon which looks like a Star of David is OLDER than the use of the Star of David itself by Jews, dating back to the 3rd century BCE when they first arrived in Japan. Jews actually didn't start using the Star of David in any capacity until around the 3rd century CE, a full six centuries later. The kagome mon was derived from the eight-pointed chakra of Lakshmi. The chakra itself was used by Chinese mystics as a simplification of the Eight Trigrams. The original symbol of Bet Dawud was the lion, which also became the symbol for the nation of Judah. This was in contrast to the original symbol of the kingdom of Israel, which was the bull of El.

[@Triring65]

@@andrewsuryali8540 First we do not know if the Hata clan had originated from mainland China. Seal of Solomon is older than the Qin dynasty by around 600 years. The hexagram is related to the Abrahamic religions and Indians but not the Chinese. If China had adopted the Star of David (Seal of Solomon) then it would have been later when China adopted Buddhism during the Tang dynasty. At that time Nestorianism also had been introduced into China as well which is theorized to be the link between the origin of the Hata clan and Judaism. I would also like to point out that the chief of the Hata clan is called Uzumasa(太秦）and the first church of Nestorianism built in Tan was named 大秦寺. As you can see the difference between 大 and 太 is that dot and which changes the meaning of Big to Thick which has little difference in context.

[@shashwatsinha2704]

@@andrewsuryali8540 How do you know so much man?

[@davidschmidt5507]

I need a flow chart

[@KaiHenningsen]

That contrasting description of (early) Shinto and Christianity sure sound as it that early Shinto was much like classical Roman religion, for example. That was before the advent of all those modern personal savior religions when suddenly faith became more important than deeds.

[@Arms.Enthusiast]

I think the secret to the classification of Shinto as a religion or not is hidden in its very name: Shintō, the WAY of the gods. Shinto is a way, not something which can be classified as solely religion or non-religion.

[@boogerie]

Your presentation of "separation of Church & State" as conceiving religion as a private belief system separate from the public sphere" seems to more describe the continental idea of "laicite'" then America practice, A cursory glance at American history shows a great deal of religious activity in the civil sphere and even local governmental level while being separate on the federal level.

[@emmettdonkeydoodle6230]

It is still very much not separated on a federal level.

[@ChronoLink1]

1:38 "Dawn of first day."

[@alkismavridis1]

Dawn of 2nd day. 48 hours remain...

[@johnroscoe2406]

For the record, American officials in sworn positions can swear on any book (within reason) or even no book that they want or do not want to. As well, American children have not been REQUIRED to say the Pledge of Allegiance and salute the flag in school in decades; today, it's hardly done anymore if at all in public school and even if it is no one is forcing a child to participate.

[@pedrobernardo350]

Otacon is looking different

[@badsamurai11]

nurarihyon is the most powerful shinto demon or yokai

[@launiesoult3248]

I love you so it's really great I'd like to you to answer a basic question for me why do all the other religions of the world get along except for the Christians in the Muslims what the heck is going on

[@LunaDevaKitty]

it's racism. there's no particular reason why muslims or christian can't get along and frequently they do, but it's state sponsored racism with the aims to continue exploiting the middle east for resources especially oil.

[@TheSkullConfernece]

I know my comment is unrelated in many ways but I just wanted to share something here. I helped a Korean woman visiting the US with her dead car battery. After she got her car started she said to me "Jesus loves you." I'm an atheist so to not be rude, I just said thank you. She asked me if I went to church or believed or something and I said that I didn't. She looked disappointed and just repeated that Jesus loves me. I just repeated "thank you" and bid her farewell.

[@redapol5678]

From what I know, South Korea has a much larger Christian population than those of Japan or China. I find that quite interesting in itself. But of course I’m assuming the lady you’re referring to was actually from South Korea and not a citizen of another Western country (eg Australia) with Korean heritage

[@andrewsuryali8540]

@@redapol5678 South Korea has embraced evangelical Christianity to the max. Now, let's get one thing straight here first. A lot of the Christian sects in Korea have developed very divergent theology and doctrine that no longer match what you would call Christian orthodoxy. Some sects are reviving ancient heresies with admirable gusto. Ask a Korean evangelical: In what way is Jesus god? The answer might surprise you. My favorite ones: - Like Yi Soon Shin. He sacrificed himself to defend his nation, therefore his people elevated him to godhood. - Like Buddha. He attained enlightenment in India and achieved nirvana. - Because he's the son of Jehovah and the goddess Mary. - God gave birth to him and he created the universe. - He ascended to heaven after the resurrection. - God adopted him as a son. - He is part of the Trinity, the three gods of heaven. - He is part of the Trinity, the three forms of the one god that the god can take to do things in the world. - He is part of the Trinity, the son and right hand man of the father and the holy spirit's boss. - He's the new god. The old god was evil, so he came to defeat the old god and give us the New Testament. - He's the elder brother of our leader. Personally I love all of it! SK is like a massive petri dish for a religious experiment of unprecedented scale that has never been tried anywhere else, and whatever the original seeds were, it's definitely growing variants at a rate not even America has been able to match.

[@redapol5678]

@@andrewsuryali8540 very interesting. I never knew it was so diverse!

[@shashwatsinha2704]

@@andrewsuryali8540 And they seem to be quite fanatical too.

[@mansoortanweer]

Can you do a vid about the veracity of claims made by internet "historians" about Japan supposedly mulling over becoming Muslim?

[@nomanor7987]

Impossible. The Japanese love eating pork and drinking alcohol too much.

[@mansoortanweer]

​@@nomanor7987 That, and other reasons, may be why they never went through with it. If they considered it at all. It's at best a rumour. It's a persistent tidbit, if you can call it that, that keeps coming up on Reddit. See below: www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/jqhe4m/in_1906_was_japan_seriously_considering_adopting/ I've researched it and all I've been able to find is the Islamic world actually did reach out to the Japanese for better relations, but not anything about Japan going Muslim. And Japan did have a strong interest in Muslims. Muslims viewed Japan as the only country in Asia that wasn't colonized and, after handily defeating the Russians, the only country that can keep white, Christian colonialism at bay. Japan also had a vested interest in keeping Europeans at bay because they were surrounded by them. European concessions in China (Britain, France, Germany), Russians to the north, Americans and Dutch to the south. Japan saw itself as a sort of liberator of Asia (this was taken to a genocidal extreme in WW2) and sought more ties with Muslims. There was even a conference of religions in 1906 in Tokyo where many Muslim scholars attended to seek deeper ties with Japan. Several Central Asian refugees escaping the soviets also settled in Japan. Hence why there is a mosque in Osaka done in the Central Asian style. That's all I've been able to find on it.

[@nomanor7987]

@@mansoortanweer it’s all a part of the Abrahamic wet dream to convert the East Asians. Christians obsess about converting the Chinese and it seems Muslims want to convert Japan. Both will fail. East Asians not only have their own native traditions that are superior to Christianity and Islam, but the character of the people are not agreeable with the Abrahamic traditions.

[@redapol5678]

@@nomanor7987 that reminds me of my Japanese teacher explaining why rabbits are counted with the same ‘counter’ as birds and not with other small animals - Buddhist monks loved eating rabbits but weren’t allowed to eat meat apart from bird meat (maybe fish too?) so they justified that rabbits were birds. Of course, I think it’s probably a folk tale but I find it interesting how Japanese adapt various religions to fit their society (as far as I know in strict Buddhism eating any meat is not allowed). I think it’s for this reason neither Christianity nor Islam has been able to gain as strong a following in Japan when compared to other countries. But maybe there are other explanations

[@mansoortanweer]

@@redapol5678 I know that the Catholic Church decreed that Puffins and Beavers are fish so that they can be eaten on Friday.

[@SatsumaTengu14]

Japanese beliefs or reverence on Yasukuni shrine are not the concerns of foreign people. It is a private and personal thing just as Americans who visit Arlington.

[@man-yp1gb]

Confucianism is more of a philosophy like Ikigai right?

[@Texasmade74]

I think it's important to note that Shinto definitely has sects and doctrines and to say they are not a thing in Shinto or not important is inaccurate

[@666Blaine]

I wonder if the Japanese version of the Shinto Directive was the same as the English version because the US government had a habit of telling the American public one thing while acting differently in Japan. For example announcing in the US that the Japanese had unconditionally surrendered despite the fact that they had, in the end, actually assured the Japanese that they could keep the emperor. Point being that the parts that read like "wartime propaganda" might just be in the English version for US consumption.

[@ThatOliveMrT]

They had boats, with guns. **Gunboats**

[@frailrearranger6892]

Do their laws dictate in what way religious practices must or must not be followed, and are these laws made for any motives other than carrying out the civic job for which they were elected? If yes to both, then they are violating the separation of church and state, otherwise, they are not. See John Locke, "A Letter Concerning Toleration."

[@GaramondGourmond]

Wow. I found this very confusing. Shrines going back and forth between being official and being religious.

[@txvoltaire]

"How do you solve the problem of religion?"

[@katximotxilis]

Are those chapter title sound effects a nod to Dan Carlin?

[@EatPrayAnime]

It's a sound effect from the game "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" 🙂 --Kaitlyn, RFB Shinto Series researcher/co-writer

[@saooran7364]

"Honcho" as in "head honcho"?

[@TheKalihiMan]

The honcho in Jinja Honcho (本庁) roughly translates to “association”, while the word more commonly used in English is actually from the Japanese word hancho (班長), which translates to “squad leader”. It is thought this word entered colloquial English from US soldiers in the Second World War hearing Japanese soldiers using it to refer to their lieutenants.

[@saooran7364]

@@TheKalihiMan thanks dude!

[@michaelm.3694]

Each day I tend to think that the Enlightenment really....sucked. The pomposity of it and west. civ. in general that all "other" ideas of religion with Japan or the land in relation to an American Indian tribe starts with we're the platonic ideal and their views need to amend themselves to ours (or else). Think I'm going to see if the new age bookstore is hiring.

[@oaktree__]

"... our own son of god!" And people still insist that the US isn't a Christian country, and that Christmas is toooootally secular. Ok! (Merry Christmas, all. I'll be ordering Chinese food tomorrow.)