Illustrates the beliefs of Japan's oldest religion, its ceremonies, rituals, and festivals, and its connection with Japannese art, history, Buddhism, and even sumo wrestling

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Discusses the history of the Shinto religion in Japan, describing its origins, basic beliefs, rituals, and festivals, and how it is practiced today.

A young Japanese-American girl living in Honolulu with her family describes the beliefs and ceremonies of Shintoism

Provides information about the Shinto religion, covering its festivals, prayers, and rituals (view table of contents)

An attempt to understand Shinto's continuing relevance to the cultural identity of contemporary Japanese. Through an investigation of one of Japan's venerated Shinto shrines, it addresses what appears to western eyes to be an exotic and incongruous blend of superstition and reason. (view table of contents)

Discusses the historical origins, teachings, practices, and spread of Shinto into modern times. (view table of contents)

Filled with spectacular images from Japan, this thoughtful treatment of Japan's native religion and its close relationship to Buddhism traces the history of Shintoism while illuminating its most important rituals and beliefs.

Product Description: To know Japan, one must know Shinto-the country's indigenous religion. Using superb color images of rituals, ceremonies, and sacred architecture, as well as sacred texts, Understanding Shinto offers a fascinating glimpse into this unique culture...read more

Provides a history of the Japanese religion, discussing its worship of spiritual presences known as kami, its emphasis on rituals and festivals, its calendar, and its choice of leaders.

Provides a history of the Japanese religion, discussing its worship of spiritual presences known as kami, its emphasis on rituals and festivals, its calendar, and its choice of leaders.

The diplomat and Japanese and Korean scholar William George Aston (1841-1911) wrote several highly regarded publications, particularly on the Japanese language. Condensed from his more comprehensive 1905 study of the subject, this 1907 work is a brief introduction to Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan. Based on the worship of nature and ancestor spirits, Shinto has evolved throughout its history, particularly under Buddhist and Confucian influence. In the late nineteenth century it played a notable role in the revival of Japanese nationalism, and continued to be central to public life until 1945. This work focuses on describing Shinto's general character, and its myths and practices, drawing on early written sources based on the oral tradition. Aston's work has been criticised for its dependence on philological study of the early texts, but his expertise is undeniable. His groundbreaking History of Japanese Literature (1899) is also reissued in this series.

An early Japanese classic, possibly dating as far back as A.D. 712, Kojiki is an invaluable sourcebook for students of Japanese history, religion, anthropology, and literature. Completed under the auspices of the Japanese imperial court, it is the oldest extant book in Japan, and its title (literally, "Record of Ancient Things") suggests an account of a still earlier era. It is the court's statement about the origins of the imperial clan and the leading families, and the beginnings of Japan as a nation; at the same time it is a compilation of myths, historical and pseudo-historical narratives and legends, songs, anecdotes, folk etymologies, and genealogies. An earlier translation by Basil Hall Chamberlain published in 1882 is now out of print. This translation relates the translated text to modern scholarship and includes the most recent commentaries.Originally published in 1969.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.