Activists: Shinto Shrine’s Horse Jumping Festival is Animal Abuse
Tado Shrine in Mie Prefecture says it’s preserving tradition with ageuma, its horse jumping festival. But activists call it cruel.
Tado Shrine in Mie Prefecture says it’s preserving tradition with ageuma, its horse jumping festival. But activists call it cruel.
Japan’s Central Shrine Administration has taken an aggressively anti-LGBTQ stance. But some Shinto shrines are bucking the prejudice.
Tsubaki Grand Shrine, a vital location for many US Shinto practitioners, is closing with little notice or fanfare.
What does it take to become a certified Shinto shrine maiden? A certified miko gives us an insider’s look at a miko school in Japan.
On the grounds of Shiogama City’s Shiogama Shrine are very special double-cherry blossoms. Here, we introduce you to their story. 💮
“When people no longer need things, or if they hate them, they destroy them… If people love things however, they care for them and make them last.” (Of Arcs and Circles, p. 46)
Although Japan is the land of the rising sun, with its indigenous religion centering around the sun goddess, we cannot overlook the importance of the moon in Japan’s culture.
In the mid-1980s, a Japanese salaryman declared himself the reincarnation of Buddha and Hermes. Now his religious organization claims millions of adherents.
When the new Emperor takes his throne in 2019, Japan’s taxpayers will spend billions on a Shinto religious rite. Some – including a Prince – say that’s unconstitutional.
Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly digest of our best work across platforms (Web, Twitter, YouTube). Your support helps us spread the word about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime.
Want a preview? Read our archives
You’ll get one to two emails from us weekly. For more details, see our privacy policy