Shintō Glossary Terms

Akazawa, Konko Daijin Bunji

Bunji Akazawa (1814-1883), who is given the honorific title Konko Daijin, was the founder of the Japanese new religion Konkokyo. As the result of a profound healing experience, he began to teach a monotheistic religion based on the one all-sustaining God...

aki matsuri

Important indigenous Japanese festivals ( matsuri) are held in the spring ( haru) and autumn ( aki), the most crucial times of the agricultural cycle. In the spring, the blessings of kami are invoked to insure a plentiful crop. In the autumn, festivals of...

Amaterasu Omikami

Amaterasu, the “Heavenly Illuminator,” is often referred to as the Sun Goddess. She is the divine ancestor and tutelary deity of the royal family of Japan and is understood to be the protector of Japan and its people. Amaterasu’s shrine is at Ise, one of...

Goddess

Goddess is a term used to refer to the female deity, either in the singular as the supreme divine reality, or in the plural as one of many particular or localized feminine deities. In the Hindu tradition, the Goddess refers to the very powerful, even...

harai

Harai (honorific: oharai) are rites of purification in the Shinto tradition.

haru matsuri

kami

Kami, often translated as "god," "deity," or "spirit," are manifestations of divine presence or awe-inspiring power. The kami rest upon or dwell in a particular place, especially in natural settings of unusual form or stunning beauty. They are also...

kamidana

A kamidana is a small domestic Shinto altar or shelf for the tutelary kami of the house. Offerings of food and drink will be made at the kamidana at the start of each day. A Japanese home may contain several kamidana as well as a butsudana, or Buddhist...

Konkokyo

The Japanese new religion Konkokyo, which came to be seen as one of the thirteen Shinto sects, was founded by a Japanese peasant and farmer, Bunji Akazawa (1814-83). Akazawa was given the title Konko Daijin, “Great God of Golden Light.” He mediated to...

Shinto

Shinto, the “way of the kami” refers to the indigenous Japanese religious traditions which focus on the worship of kami. Initially, rituals devoted to kami took place outdoors in natural surroundings. Later, wooden structures were constructed to house the...

Shinto priest

There are many ranks, titles, and functions of Shinto priests. While some priestly positions are hereditary, most priests train for their ceremonial, educational, and administrative roles at Shinto institutions such as the Kogakukan University at Ise...

Tenrikyo

Tenrikyo, literally “the Religion of Heavenly Truth,” is a Japanese new religion with a strong Shinto orientation. It is based on a series of revelations received by Nakayama Miki (1798-1887), who was possessed on several occasions by Tenri-O-no-Mikoto...

Tsubaki Grand Shrine

Tsubaki Grand Shrine is located in Japan’s Mie prefecture, 300 miles west of Tokyo. It is one of the oldest Shinto Shrines in Japan, with a 2000 year history. The Tsubaki Grand Shrine is the first Shinto organization to have sent priests to the United...

tsukinamisai

Tsukinamisai is a monthly ritual performed at Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America.