THE LAND OF THE GODS. 429' 



be imagined that the Japanese people are, therefore, divided into two 

 distinct sections, each professing to observe one of these religions 

 exclusively. As a matter of fact, Shinto and Buddhism in practice 

 are so thoroughly interfused that the number of pure Shintoists and 

 pure Buddhists must be extremely small. Every Japanese is, from 

 the moment of his birth, placed by his parents under the protection of 

 some Shinto deity. On the other hand, the lanerai rites are con- 

 ducted, with few exceptions, according to the ceremonial of the 

 Buddhist sect to which his family belongs. In recent years only has 

 burial been revived according to ancient Shinto ritual, and this after 

 almost total disuse for some twelve centuries. Shinto requires of 

 its adherents little more than a visit to the local temple at the times 

 of annual festivals ; it does not profess to teach any theoiy regarding 

 the destiny of man, or of moral duty. Accordingly, the Buddhist 

 priests have a fairly free field for the teaching of moral dogma, the 

 exercise of splendid rites, and the display of gorgeous decorations. 

 Shinto, a compoimd of nature-worship and ancestor-worship, has gods 

 and goddesses of wind, ocean, fire, food, and pestilence; of mountains 

 and nvers, of certain special mountains, certain trees, certain temples 

 • — eight hundred myiiads of these deities in all. Shinto concerns itself 

 not with moral teaching. Its theory is to follow one's natural im- 

 j)ulses, and the decrees of the Mikado. The important thing is to 

 conserve the national morality which inculcates love of countxy, 

 loyalty to the Sovereign, filial piety, family harmony, respect for 

 parents, goodwill among sons and daughters, and the worship of 

 ancestors. These are civic and family observances. This moral 

 system limits its aims to this world, and its practice contemplates no 

 celestial reward. As already stated, the real reUgion of Japan, the 

 religion still professed in one form or other by the entire nation, is 

 the cult of ancestor-worship. It may be said without exaggeration 

 tliat every Japanese man, woman, and child is an ancestor-worshipper, 

 including the Christian convert and the Buddhist devotee. There is 

 no preaching ; neither are the rewards and punishments of a future 

 life used as incentives to right conduct ; and there are hardly any 

 regular services for the people. Shinto is a belief in the continued 

 existence of the dead, but whether such be one of joy or pain is not 

 revealed. 



The costumes of the priests (Kannuslii) differ from those of 

 laymen only when offering morning and evening prayers. At such 

 times their dress consists of a long loose gown with Avide sleeves, 

 fastened at the waist with a girdle, and sometimes a black cap, bound 

 round the head with a white fillet. No vows of celibacy bind the 

 priests. At some temples young girls act as priestesses, but their 

 duties consist, for the most part, of the pantomimic dances known as 

 Kagura (e.g., Easuga shrine). Sei-vice consists of the presentation 

 of small trays of rice, fish, fruits, vegetables, sake, and the flesh of 

 birds and animals, also in the recital of certain formal addresses 

 (norito), partly laudatory and partly in the nature of petitions. 

 Although Shinto is divided into several sects, e.r/., Honkyoku, the 

 Kurozumi Kyo, etc., they are so imobtrusive that the cult may well 

 be considered homogeneous. 



Every town, every village possesses more than one miya (Shinto 

 temple). In 1898 there were 664 great temples, 191,242 shrines, and 



