Shinto (, shint) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. It involves the worship of kami (, kami), spirits. Some kami are local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a particular place, but other ones represent major natural objects and processes: for example, Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, or Mount Fuji. Shinto is an animistic belief system. The word Shinto was created by combining two kanji: 'shin' (, 'shin')(loan words usually retain their Chinese pronunciation, hence shin not kami), meaning gods or spirits ; and 't' (, 't'), meaning a philosophical way or path (originally from the Chinese word dao). As such, Shinto is commonly translated as 'The Way of the Gods'. A torii at Itsukushima Shrine. Typical Shinto Shrine with paper streamers made out of unprocessed hemp fibre.After World War II, Shinto lost its status as the state religion of Japan. Some Shinto practices and teachings, once given a great deal of prominence during the war, are no longer taught or practiced today, while others still exist as commonplace activities such as omikuji (a form of fortune-telling) and the Japanese New Year that few people give religious connotations to. Important national ceremonies such as coronations and royal marriages are conducted at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in Tokyo, and many Japanese still travel at least once in their lives to the Grand Shrine of Ise in Mie Prefecture.
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