Shinto

Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism.

Shinto (meaning the way of the gods) is the oldest indigenous system of belief in Japanese history.

Japanese gods and goddesses are mostly those of the traditional religion of Japan, known as Shinto ("The Way of the Gods"), or kami-no-michi.

Sikhism does not have a concept of the devil, or Satan as does Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. Sikhs believe that demons or devils are entities, or spirits which are driven solely by ego.

The Yorùbá people, who inhabit a significant part of Western Africa, including Nigeria, have been practicing their unique set of religious customs for centuries. Yoruba religion is a blend of indigenous beliefs, myths and legends, proverbs, and songs, all influenced by the cultural and social contexts of the western portion of Africa.

Engimono are traditional Japanese lucky charms, often decorated with bright colors and designs, that signify different kinds of luck (e.g. marriage and love, fertility, success). The practice of keeping engimono comes from Japanese folklore, though it also has strong roots in both Buddhist and Shinto culture and religious history. 

Since Shinto has no founder or central creationist figure, but rather is an ancient set of beliefs that was formally incorporated into Japanese society with the influx of Confucianism and Buddhism, understanding the complex web of tradition, ritual, prayer, kami, and jinja can be daunting. This glossary provides you with a general overview of Shinto definitions, key terms, names, and figures that repeatedly appear across the study of Shinto.

The spirits or gods of Shinto are known as kami. Yet, calling these entities 'gods' is not quite correct because kami actually includes a wide expanse of supernatural beings or forces. Kami takes on many meanings depending on the context and it doesn't just refer to the Western concept of God or gods, either. 

Every Japanese emperor and empress in the long line of familial succession can trace their ancestry and divine right to rule directly to the deities that, according to Japanese mythology, formed the islands of Japan from the murky darkness of the earth below the heavens.

Shinto (meaning the way of the gods) is the oldest indigenous system of belief in Japanese history. Its beliefs and rituals are practiced by more than 112 million people.