Source: Daily Yomiuri
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20051201TDY20001.htm
On December 1, 2005 the Daily Yomiuri reported, "For years, Caitlin Stronell did not have a high opinion of Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion. In fact, she regarded it as an evil that fostered xenophobic imperialism and eventually dragged Japan into World War II. But a chance meeting and a visit to a shrine not only caused her to change her impression of the religion, she took it a step further. She became a Shinto priest. Stronell is one of six priests at Asakawa Konpira Daigongen, a small shrine at the top of a mountain in Hachioji, western Tokyo. Wearing a ceremonial robe and hakama skirt, the 38-year-old Australian attends a regular Shinto ritual at the shrine every month and at times accompanies senior priests to help them preside over wedding, funeral and other ceremonies. But that is not her full-time job. While not working as a Shinto priest, or 'kannushi,' she works as a magazine editor, a university lecturer and an active member of nongovernmental organizations. With all these activities, her life often becomes hectic. This is where Shinto plays a significant role in her life. 'It's really important and has kept me sane,' Stronell said of the religion. 'If you're an activist, it's very easy to get completely drawn into your topic. And you can become completely disconnected from yourself... For me, Shintoism is a spiritual base,' she said."