Shinto in Everyday Japanese Life

Comments · 599

• LI

  @LifeWhereImFrom · 5 years ago (edited) · pinned

  Thanks again to David Chart for teaching me about Shinto in everyday Japanese life. If you have an interest in Shinto, I highly recommend checking out his Patreon (<a href="https://www.patreon.com/mimusubi/%E2%80%8B)">https://www.patreon.com/mimusubi/​)</a> and website (<a href="https://www.mimusubi.com/)">https://www.mimusubi.com/)</a>. And oh yeah, you can see the first video we made together that has an intro to Shinto <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htxVoNBd5do">https://youtu.be/htxVoNBd5do</a>

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• HI

  @hiroshi.n9352 · 5 years ago (edited)

  I am Japanese, and I am 76 years old.<br>I would like to explain how many Japanese people think about religion.<br><br>What is religion?<br>If religion is defined as belief in an absolute God or a Creator, then most Japanese people would be considered to have no religion.<br><br>This is because Buddhism and Shinto, which are deeply rooted in the Japanese psyche, do not have an absolute God.<br>What exists in these traditions are guides who teach the proper way for human beings to live.<br><br>Both Buddhism and Shinto share a sense of respect and gratitude not only toward human beings, but also toward all living things on land and in water, plants, and everything that exists in nature. They also place importance on discipline in everyday human life, and their aim is to maintain peace of mind and to live calmly each day.<br><br>As a result of this way of thinking, for example, the phrase “Itadakimasu” said before a meal is not an expression of gratitude to a God who provides sustenance.<br>Rather, it is an expression of gratitude for the lives of animals and plants that became our food, and the phrase “Gochisousama deshita” said after a meal expresses gratitude to the people who raised, harvested, and prepared that food.<br>In addition, practices such as cleaning and keeping oneself well-groomed are also considered part of daily discipline.<br><br>In order to maintain this kind of daily discipline, various customs have developed and have been passed down from generation to generation. Japanese people practice these customs naturally, without being strongly conscious of them as religious influences.<br><br>And in order to live calmly, Japanese people tend to value coexistence with others over self-assertion. Japanese society is built upon an unconscious trust that others share the same values. (Of course, there are exceptions.)<br>At times of major disasters, this shared sense of values—usually not very visible—becomes clearly apparent.<br><br>I believe that this way of living functions as a form of religion for many Japanese people. <br>@hiroshi.n9352

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• FU

  @FunkyBukkyo · 5 years ago

  This is very educational on how Shinto is ingrained, not just in Japanese culture, but also in daily life without even the Japanese people knowing it

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• RA

  @ramzanninety-five3639 · 5 years ago

  It is a strange experience watching David speak. He seems like a Japanese old-school professor stuck in an Englishman&apos;s body. I guess he should take it as a compliment, since he is willingly assimilated into the Japanese society. He is also very knowledgeable on the subject which inspires me personally to learn more about Japan.

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• FR

  @fredrik7411 · 5 years ago

  i like david, hes seems so chill and knowledgeable

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• PF

  @pfteve · 5 years ago

  I love the fact he addressed his tie haha.

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• SH

  @sharalynn5242 · 5 years ago

  Shinto was the first thing that got me interested in Japanese culture.

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• JO

  @johnc_ · 5 years ago (edited)

  Goodbye is a shortened version of &apos;God be by ye&apos; (god be with you) but no one would associate saying it with religion. There might be a name for things that originally came from religion but have lost that meaning and are now just part of culture in general.

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• KS

  @kseniam8747 · 5 years ago

  David is my favorite guest celebrity! Thanks for inviting him

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• HA

  @haku5650 · 5 years ago

  I&apos;m a Japanese and living in Tokyo. Sometimes I&apos;m not sure what is my roots, our traditions and cultures. But this video means a lot to me to recognize I am Japanese. thanks!

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• SI

  @sirBrouwer · 5 years ago

  What I derived from this video in short is. That he basic Japanese life style and that of Shinto are so entwined that it would be pretty hard to say where those two do split. <br>Like 85% of Japanese lifestyle is based on Shinto lifestyle. and 95% of Shinto lifestyle is baste on Japanese lifestyle. They have probably shaped each other more then just one the other.

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• 21

  @21.sairamreddy52 · 5 years ago

  Please also make video on buddhism in japan, and how it has influenced japanese lifestyle over the years.

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