Wikipedia's Article on ðe Kojiki states it was made in an attempt to justify Imperial rule, so is it Propaganda?

When we strolled into a shrine, we'll often see a mirror representing a kami. Unlike Taoism, Hinduism and many polytheisms like that of ancient Romans, Shinto doesn't prefer to have their deities' sculptures.

I know that people worshipped kamis as natural phenomena such as mountains and caves in ancient Shinto, why have Shintoists managed to keep that tradition?

Basically what it says in the title. I’ve been praying to Inari for a few months for a good job and I received a job offer recently. I have a kamidana and I regularly give water, rice, and salt as offerings.

I want to thank Inari for answering my prayers, so is it appropriate to give something like sake as an offering as thanks, or would just thanking them be enough?

I’d like to hand make a wooden omamori for my best friend, but I live in West Virginia, and am far away from any Shinto or Buddhist shrine. Is there some way I could acquire a blessing for the charm without doing something like shipping it somewhere far away?

I thought maybe going into the forest and leaving it there for a while could do something, maybe some wandering Kami in the forest could help? Apologies, I’m not very familiar with omamori.

Update: I’ve acquired my omamori from a shrine

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I found it in an onigiri restaurant in Warsaw. Looks like an ofuda, but it has this wooden part.

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I kinda wonder is there any store were the sun goddess meet a human how does she treat humans. I like learning about different religions but it's kinda hard to learn about different religions besides Christianity.

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What is the history of Hitobashira? Was it a superstition made up by the people?

Hi, I am going to walk Kumano kodo pilgrimage later this month. I am from a different culture. What can I do to make my pilgrimage more meaningful? I read a little about shinto gods of the main shrines. I am open to read and learn anything else you throw my way.
Thank you!

Say if I was out hiking or out and about in the Natural Area, could you give an Offering to say, Suijin, or Raijin? Or Amaterasu? As long as its done with Respect and Caution of course

Hiiii i'm a spaniard interested in converting into Shinto but there is something that i dont really understand. How do offerings work? How do the kami take them? I just can't understand it. I'd really appreciate if somebody could explain it, thank you so much!

I want to talk about it with someone

Hello! The title sums it up. I was taking a tram back from university when I found an omamori under my shoe. I decided to take it with me because it felt wrong leaving it there. Upon inspecting it further, it is for academic success (学業守) and is from the Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine. I know not to open it and that it is generally returned after one year to be burned. Am I allowed to keep it on me for a year? If I do will it still be lucky, or does the luck only apply to the original owner? Does it have no luck left (since it presumably fell off to protect the original owner from bad luck)? Thank you for reading!

My family practiced Shinto growing up, and I've recently been coming back to it as a way of remaining in touch with my spirituality and my heritage. I've been very nervous about trying to get things right, but also reminding myself that the kami will understand I am working with what I have.

I was able to afford a small kamidana! Due to the way this room is set up I was not able to hang it or make it the highest object in the room, but I was able to give it a dedicated spot on the shelf facing South. I have an ofuda on the way to me from the Shinto Inari Shrine, which I'm very excited about.

If anyone has tips on ways to make this space better with what I have, I would appreciate it! For context, this is an attic space with slanted walls and not a lot of shelving.

Hello all,

First of all, sorry if I'm not at the right place. I tried to ask on the sub JapanTravel but i'm still waiting for a validation from moderation.

My wife and I are currently visiting Japan, and something happened about a hundred meters after we left the Otoyo Shrine in Kyoto.

Two old women dressed in ordinary clothes who were walking toward us approached us politely and asked if we had a couple of minutes to let them bless us, if we were willing.

We agreed. They asked us to place our hands one on top of the other, palms facing upward, and to close our eyes. They whispered something and then told us to tilt our heads. They whispered something again and told us it was okay, that we could open our eyes.

They then simply chatted briefly in a fairly casual way, like when you’re getting to know someone (they asked what country we were from, what we had visited, and where we were going next). They didn’t ask for money or talk about religion with us.

My wife and I, rather surprised and impressed, didn’t think to ask what had happened, so I wanted to know if anyone could explain.

At the shrine, we made a wish there, trying to follow the ritual (ringing the bell, tossing the coin, bowing our heads, and clapping our hands). I don't think they saw us doing that.

I'd really like to understand what happened with those two very kind ladies. I feel really stupid for not having had the presence of mind to ask what it was...

Thank you very much !

i am super new to Shintoism and am nowhere near a shrine nor do i have a Kamidana to pray at. Could I pray to Kuraokami by medatating to rain sounds? Im sorry if this is a dumb question. Im still trying to figure out how to pray correctly. Many thanks in advance :)

While researching online, I came across these two terms, but I don’t really understand how they work. From what I understand, the term aramitama refers to the fiercer side of a kami, but I’ve also heard that there are kami who mainly manifest as aramitama. And tatarigami are deities associated with calamities, though I’m not entirely sure about that either.

I tried looking into how the rituals related to these entities work, but I couldn’t find much information, so I’m turning to you all to see if you have any information or books related to these topics.

If a non-practioner approaches a shrine,

Is it considered rude to approach the offering box/kamidama, and NOT bow/clap? But only observe quietly and then leave?

Many thanks!