http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/ The Faith of Japan en-us 2004-11-15T10:47:22+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000152.html There are several different forms of prayer in Shinto. 1) Omairi (Coming and Clapping at a Shinto Shrine)The most common individual form of prayer is to bow twice, clap twice, and bow once before a shrine. I think that the... How to timtak 2004-11-15T10:47:22+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000145.html What is the origin of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu? We don't know much about her but we are told that: She is probably female (but this is controversial), she was upset by her brother and hid in a cave, she... Philosophy timtak 2004-11-03T20:36:28+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000125.html General timtak 2004-04-12T06:41:39+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000099.html A reader asked be for my opinion of the psychology of gKokoro-gamaeh recently, in reference to the martial arts. While I try to be a psychologist I have not come across research or even mention of the term within academic... timtak 2004-02-19T12:18:31+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000098.html The deities or spirits of Shinto are called kami but, while there are many homonyms (the words for "above", "hair", "paper", and "bite") the etymology of the word Kami is not known. For a long time it was though that... General timtak 2004-02-14T16:08:10+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000055.html It is my theory that the dancing Amenouzume (Heavenly-Alarming-Female) was in fact Susano in drag. In probably the most famous sequence in Japanese myth Amenouzume performs a strip tease dance on top of an over-turned barrel. This has the effect... Myth timtak 2004-01-13T00:44:19+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000054.html The Kojiki is famous for having themes that repeat over the course of its many episodes making it particularly tractable to structural analysis. As an illustration of this I will look at the way in which hair recurs as a... Myth timtak 2004-01-12T19:06:22+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000053.html I am told that Shusaku Endo, the Japanese Catholic novelist, sought a 'maternal Christ', believing that Japan as a land of 'amaeru' had a childlike dependence on a merciful compassionate mother. This notion, that the Japanese are inclined to amaeru,... Gender timtak 2004-01-11T18:47:46+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000052.html There is a Japanese proverb which says (click for an image of the Japanese) "Dawn doesn't break without a woman", or, Japan is the land where dawn doesn't break without a woman. " It refers to the Shinto myth in... Gender timtak 2004-01-10T17:31:37+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000051.html A torii is a gate with two overhead cross bars or lintels. Torii are found in front of almost every shrine in Japan. Their function is to mark the boundary between the sacred world of the shrine and the profane... Ancient timtak 2004-01-10T13:07:03+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000050.html The spiritual roots of Noh lie in a much earlier tradition than Zen. They are evident in the Shinto-style stage and the back wall with its painted pine tree. This is thought to be a reference to the Yogo Pine... Art 2004-01-10T09:16:13+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000049.html Rearding the position of sake in Shinto, it seems as if the two are inseperable. Jichinsai: Sake is along with salt and water used for purification, particularly since spooshing it about placates the spirits. The stable bread and butter work... How to timtak 2004-01-09T20:13:20+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000041.html Tenrikyou, one of the sects of sectarian Shinto is more organised than amorphous, generic "Shrine Shinto" so there is more of a clear defnition of whether you are in it or not. It has an organisation and one generally joins... General timtak 2003-08-12T15:16:32+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000026.html In short, in shinto, salt is used to purify. Left outside of houses in little pile of "mori shio" (piled up salt) generally to the right of the door (left maybe okay too?) so that people who pass through the... How to timtak 2003-05-26T11:26:36+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000013.html The Last Judgement East and West:A Comparison between the Christian Judgement and the Judgement of King Enma The concept of a post death judgement is one which is shared by a great many religions to a greater or lesser... Philosophy timtak 2003-04-28T02:05:29+09:00