Shinto

1
Shinto

• The Way of the Gods

2
Shinto in History

• Ancient Religion
• Resurged during 15th century

3
Shen Do

• Shin Unfathomable Spiritual Power
• To tao way
• Also Way of the Gods
• Term coined in 8th century to distinguish Shinto
  from Buddhism

4
Shinto

• Currently National Religion of Japan
• Historically, describes diverse religious
  practices

5
Tenets

• Focus on adapting to life in this world.
• Focus on harmonious living with the natural
  environment.
• The dead are not less real than the living.
  (p. 281)

6
Kami

• That which is particularly wondrous, whether in
  nature or among people, they accepted as a
  superior object of worship, called kami.
• (Eastman, p. 260)

7
Kami includes

• Deities of earth and heaven
• Human beings, ghosts
• Birds, beasts, trees, plants, seas, mountains,
  etc.
• Anything awe-inspiring
• Good AND Evil
• Anything sacred or mysterious

8
Kami dragon

• Kami respond to human prayers and can influence
  the course of natural fources and human events.

9
Shinto deities

• The arrival of Buddhism in Japan ca. 9th century
  introduced the concept of representational
  images. Often crafted to resemble male and
  female aristocrats.

Seated Kami, 12th century
10
Shinto lacks

• Supporting body of philosophical and moral
  literature.

11
Japanese Art

• Characterized by respect for nature.
• Combination of grace, grandeur and reverence for
  subjects.

12

• Winter Landscape
• By Sesshu
• Ca. 1470s

13

• Bust of a Beautiful Lady Dressed in a Kimono
• Utamaro Kitagawa
• 1794

14

• The Great Wave off Kanagawa
• Hokusai Katsushika, ca. 1831

15
Noh Theatre

• Actors trained from childhood
• Stories from historical, literary sources (eg.
  Ca. 1000 C.E.)
• Reveals some working out of passions felt by a
  character who often appears as a ghost
• Main character usually masked
• Dance, pantomime, opera

16
Noh Theatre

• Tamura Dance of the Ghost
• Noh Theatre
• Highly stylized movement
• Slow, deliberate, gliding steps
• Long entrance to stage from House Left indicates
  that it is a main hero or sidekick.

17
Traditional Noh Theater
18
Taiko in Noh

• Used ONLY in plays where the main character is a
  god, demon, or some other nonhuman being.