Japan is a nation of 8 millions deities (4) 2017/09/09
Monotheism is a religion of self restraint. Christianity begins with original sin and requests a believer to restrain himself severely. Christianity also requests a believer not to believe in other religion than Christianity.
Buddhism shows milder attitude toward other religion than Christianity, however, Buddhism requests a believer to keep solid self strain in order to struggle against 4 basic agonies, namely birth, old age, disease, death.
On the contrary, Shinto is a bright belief. Shinto has not any doctrine and never requests people to promise royalty to Shinto. Shinto is always open to everybody and generous to anybody who even believes in other religion.
Furthermore Shinto is generous enough to accept people’s mistakes as far as people admit mistakes and exorcize from the bottom of the heart.
Therefore Shinto has been open to Buddhist and Confucianist. Shinto did not expel those people but to contain them inside it’s tradition and culture.
Japanese deities originated from the solid belief in Nature. Numberless deities have been produced from all things in Nature. Furthermore Shinto or Japanese have accepted deities from Buddhism and Confucianism and also deities from other believes and taken such deities into the society. Japanese have not killed or destroyed enemies or heretics but induced them into the society. At the end, we, Japanese have 8 millions deities in our society.
Above probably is a key element of characteristic Japanese culture.
Broad minded Shinto has contributed lots to build up such basic frame in Japanese society.
an entrance gate to Shinto shrine
