JAPAN. Kyoto. Shimogama shrine. A sacred rope, called "shimenawa", marks the presence of a "kami", a deity embodied in stone. Zig-zag strips of white papers, called "shide" are hung from the rope, which is made of twisted fresh straw.



Shinto, the way of the Kamis (deities) is the original religion of the Japanese.
They worship spiritual powers who brought about life, fertility and prosperity.
Kamis are embodied in nature as well as in the spirits of the ancestors.
Today two forms of Shinto prevail in Japan: a popular one with its rituals and festivals,
influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism: and an Imperial one with secret rituals
which go back to the mythical creation of Japan by Kamis. This latter form was the root
of Japanese nationalism and imperialism during the last world war.