A native animist tradition of Japan, Shinto practice is based upon the premise that every being and object has its spirit or kami. Shinto practitioners worship several particular kamis, including the kamis of nature, and families often have shrines to their ancestors’ kamis. Shintoism has no fixed tradition of prayers or prescribed dogma but is characterized by individual rituals. Respect for the kamis in nature is a key Shinto value. Before World War II, Shinto was the state religion of Japan and bolstered the Japanese emperor’s cult.
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