History

• Shinto history dates back to the late Jomon period in Japanese history, which covers the span of years from 2,000 BC to 300 BC. The earliest origins are uncertain.
• The introduction of writing and Buddhism in the 5th and 6th centuries played a large role in the development of Shinto as a unified belief system.
• In 712 and 720, Kojiki (The Record of Ancient Things) and Nihonshoki (The Chronicles of Japan) were written by compiling legends and myths.
• With the rapid adoption of Buddhism by the Imperial Court, an explanation regarding the differences between the native religion of Japan (Shinto) and Buddhism was necessary. It was seen that the Shinto kami played a role protecting Buddhism. This idea was later challenged by Kukai; he saw the kami as various embodiments of Buddhas.


• In the 18th century, Japanese scholars attempted to extract the real Shinto from foreign influences, which was unsuccessful for the most part.
• After the Meiji Restoration, Shinto was declared the official religion of Japan, and its combination with Buddhism was banned.
• Shinto was seen as a way to unify Japan during its modernization and in the onset of World War II. After World War II, however, the era of state Shinto came to an end.
• To this day, Shinto has persisted, for the most part, with less of a focus on mythology or the Imperial divine mandate. Shrines now focus on helping "ordinary" people gain fortunes through maintaining a good relationship with their ancestors and other kami.