Shinto Portal

The purpose of this website is to bring together in one place a variety of information about Shinto for those who want to learn about this Japanese traditional religion.
It is operated by the Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics, Kokugakuin University, Japan.


Encyclopedia of Shinto

The Encyclopedia of Shinto Online, an English translation of Shinto Jiten edited by the Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics and published by Kobundo in 1994.

Glossary

Basic Terms of Shinto 神道基本用語集

An online version of a booklet that provides a brief exposition of selected terms related to Shinto. This was compiled for the convenience of participants in the IXth International Congress for the History of Religions.

Glossary of Shinto Names and Terms

This hypertext glossary is intended to assist readers of the IJCC's online publications by providing plain-English translations and descriptions of basic Shinto names and terms.

Books and Papers

Articles in Translation 双方向論文翻訳

A database containing translations from foreign languages into Japanese and vice versa of research papers on Shinto and Japanese religion.

Contemporary Papers on Japanese Religion

This series is a collection of studies on Japanese religion translated from Japanese into English. Topics include "Matsuri: Festival and Rite in Japanese Life," "New Religions," "Folk Belief in Modern Japan," and "Kami."

Cultural Identity and Modernization in Asian Countries

Proceedings of the Kokugakuin University Centennial Symposium, "Cultural Identity and Modernization in Asian Countries" held in 1983. The symposium explored the possibilities of applying the concept of kokugaku toward new programs of contemporary research and increase academic and cultural exchange with other Asian countries.

Globalization and Indigenous Culture

Based on the accounts of an international symposium, "Globalization and Indigenous Culture" sponsored by IJCC in 1996, as part of its activities undertaken to commemorate the Institute's fortieth anniversary.

Religion in Modern Asia Newsletter (online)

Online newsletters published by IJCC from 1992 to 1998 with the aim of encouraging and promoting the timely exchange of information regarding religion and belief systems in modern Asia among scholars and researchers.

Pictures

Images of Shinto: A Beginner's Pictorial Guide

This website is a pictorial guide to Shinto intended to familiarize beginners with the religion. By clicking on the pictures beginners can access information on terms of Shinto.

Nijūnisha (The 22 Shrines) Image collection 二十二社写真データベース

This database holds photos of Shinto shrines. Currently available for public view are photos of the Nijūnisha (二十二社, the "Twenty-two Shrines" patronized by the imperial court during the Heian period).

Ichinomiya Image Collection 一宮写真データベース

This database comprises images of Shinto shrines. Currently available for public view are images of Ichinomiya from throughout Japan(一宮, literally: the "first shrine" regarded as the tutelary shrine for the entire province).

Movies

Let’s Visit a Shrine 1 & 2 神社に行こう1・2

Two educational videos about Shinto shrines with English subtitles were produced with support from a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science grant led by Professor Kikuko Hirafuji.“Let’s Visit a Shrine 1” explores the inner details of Tensojinja Shrine in Tokiwa-dai, while “Let’s Visit a Shrine 2” documents the daily life of Shinto priests at Onoterusakijinja Shrine in Taito, Tokyo.

Teaching Materials for Japanese Religion

The YouTube channel "Teaching Materials for Japanese Religion" offers educational content focused on Japanese religious practices and traditions.

Building Eternity: The Kami-Human Landscape of Izumo Taisha 永遠を建てる―出雲大社カミとヒトの風景へ

This documentary presents the mythical origins and sacred landscape of Izumo Taisha, featuring interviews and historical discoveries.It explores how human hands have upheld the divine promise through the shrine’s architecture and renewal rituals.

Articles

The Gods of Japanese Myths and Legends

The introduction, written by Professor Kikuko Hirafuji, explores Japan’s yaoyorozu no kami--the countless deities featured in ancient chronicles such as the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.

Articles

The articles from Kokugakuin University highlight faculty and student writings on Japanese culture, religion, language, and myth.Topics include analyses of children’s songs, Shinto myths by Professor Kikuko Hirafuji, and explorations of ritual culture, such as postwar wedding traditions.

Chronological Tables

Chronological Supplement in Encyclopedia of Shinto

A translation of the chronology appended to Shinto Jiten (Encyclopedia of Shinto), which was compiled and edited by IJCC. The entries are divided into four categories: "Institutions/Laws," "Shrines/Organizations," "Personalities/Texts," and "Society."

A Brief Chronological Table of Shinto History

This chronological table is an appendix of EOS. It is beta version, and still is under development.

Faculty of Shinto Studies, Kokugakuin University

Kokugakuin University Digital Museum

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