Views of Japan

Views of Japan you won't find in guide books!

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51 posts tagged Shinto

大銀杏 The God Tree. A kami lives in this icho tree (Ginkgo biloba) in Hadano, Kanagawa prefecture. People have been praying to the kami in this tree for 700 years and the tree is a protected cultural property. The tree’s circumference is 6.25 metres, it is 30 metres tall, and around 700 years old.

大銀杏 The God Tree. A kami lives in this icho tree (Ginkgo biloba) in Hadano, Kanagawa prefecture. People have been praying to the kami in this tree for 700 years and the tree is a protected cultural property.

The tree’s circumference is 6.25 metres, it is 30 metres tall, and around 700 years old.

Being pestered by demons and goblins? Then you need a genuine certified Shinto blessing. Guaranteed to cast out those pesky demons and keep them off your back. We use genuine ancient Shinto techniques to call upon the local kami to cast out any demons who may have attached themselves to you. Drop on in for a no obligation quote.

Being pestered by demons and goblins? Then you need a genuine certified Shinto blessing. Guaranteed to cast out those pesky demons and keep them off your back. We use genuine ancient Shinto techniques to call upon the local kami to cast out any demons who may have attached themselves to you.

Drop on in for a no obligation quote.

Forceful indoctrination of children.

Forceful indoctrination into ANY religion is brainwashing and child abuse. The compulsory inculcation of faith is damaging to developing minds, minds that cannot yet decide.

My wife and I have the task of complaining to our sons school tomorrow. The last four days was the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata matsuri. A Japanese/Chinese celebration centred on mythical and fictional beliefs of an ancient people. Our son was asked to write a prayer on a piece of paper which was to be attached to a pole at the centre of town. This prayer he was told, would then be burned and answered.

My son, “Who will answer the prayer?”
Teacher, “The kami will answer it.”
My son, “Who are the kami?”
Teacher, “The gods of the Earth.”
My son, “I’ve never seen one, what do they look like.”
Teacher, “Oh, you can’t see them, but they are there.”
My son, “If you’ve never seen one, how do you know they are there?’
Teacher, “Japanese people just know.”
My son, “Well, I’m only half-Japanese, so I don’t know.”
Teacher, “Oh but they are there, and you must write a prayer to ask for their help with something you want.”
My son, “So they are like Santa Claus? He’s not real you know.”
Teacher, “Kami are real.”
My son, “How do they know how to read?”
Teacher, “They can read.”
My son, “Did they go to school to learn Japanese?” Can they read English?”
Teacher, “No they can only read Japanese. Japanese is the sacred language.”
………..You can see where this is heading.

Teaching children to believe in nonsense is brainwashing. I am very much against teaching children ANY kind of religious mumbo-jumbo. I won’t stand for it.

Got gremlins in your car? Look no further! You can have those pesky little trouble making goblins exercised from your family vehicle in no time. Guaranteed to never return again, our kami will have you driving along in complete safety.

All you need do is bring your vehicle along to the Hiratsuka Hachiman Shrine, park it in the specially fitted out parking space complete with miniature deity seat, and our Shinto priests will bless and cleanse your vehicle of those nasty little gremlins for the small fee of ¥300,000 ($4,057.61 Aus)

It takes only 5 minutes and you can drive straight away with complete piece of mind. Great for those who suspect their car may have missed the purification during assembly at the manufacturer.

Genuine methods are used in our Oharai purification process and our priests have class one communications with the local kami.

I had intended today to take some more photographs of the sunset, and even prepared a nice position so that I would have a clear view of Fujisan, and any oncoming shinkansen. Alas, it was too cloudy. So I settled for wandering around my area for an hour taking random photographs. Here is the little Shinto shrine 5mins from my house.

I had intended today to take some more photographs of the sunset, and even prepared a nice position so that I would have a clear view of Fujisan, and any oncoming shinkansen. Alas, it was too cloudy. So I settled for wandering around my area for an hour taking random photographs.

Here is the little Shinto shrine 5mins from my house.

Hiratsuka Hachiman shrine, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. The big box is where money is thrown before the Japanese make their supplications to the unseen kami (spirits of the earth or gods of nature). It is necessary to give the unseen kami money so that they “may” be persuaded to answer prayers. The money is later collected by the family of the Shinto priest, who lives in housing attached to the shrine. This is how Shinto priests earn their living - from the money thrown to the kami to answer prayers. (!)

Hiratsuka Hachiman shrine, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. The big box is where money is thrown before the Japanese make their supplications to the unseen kami (spirits of the earth or gods of nature). It is necessary to give the unseen kami money so that they “may” be persuaded to answer prayers. The money is later collected by the family of the Shinto priest, who lives in housing attached to the shrine. This is how Shinto priests earn their living - from the money thrown to the kami to answer prayers. (!)