Explanation: Scholars of religion generally classify Shinto as an East Asian religion and often regard it as Japan's indigenous faith, rather than a Semitic religion.

Explanation: The term 'Shinto' is widely understood and commonly translated as 'the way of the kami' or 'kami no michi'.

Explanation: Shinto does not possess a single, universally recognized canonical text comparable to those found in Abrahamic religions; its foundational narratives are found in texts like the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.

Explanation: Shinto generally embraces religious pluralism, not exclusivity, often allowing practitioners to engage in other traditions, such as Buddhism, without conflict.

Explanation: Scholars of religion typically classify Shinto as an East Asian religion and often regard it as Japan's indigenous faith, characterized by animism and polytheism.

Explanation: The term 'Shinto' is derived from Chinese characters meaning 'the way of the gods' or 'the way of the kami' ('kami no michi').

Explanation: Shinto differs from many Western religions by lacking a single founder and canonical text, and by embracing religious pluralism, allowing practitioners to engage in other traditions concurrently.

Explanation: The term 'Shinto' originates from the Chinese characters 'shin' (神), meaning 'spirit' or 'god', and 'tō' (道), meaning 'way' or 'path'.

Explanation: Shinto is characterized by polytheism, animism, the veneration of kami, and an emphasis on purity and purification rites. It notably lacks a single, universally recognized founder.

Explanation: Religious pluralism in Shinto means that adherents often participate in other religious traditions, such as Buddhism, without perceiving a conflict, reflecting a cultural acceptance of diverse spiritual practices.

Explanation: Kami in Shinto are not typically considered omnipotent, omniscient, or immortal; they are supernatural entities believed to inhabit all things, possessing varying degrees of power and influence.

Explanation: In Shinto traditions, ancestors are often venerated as kami, acting as protectors for their living descendants and becoming part of the family's spiritual lineage.

Explanation: 'Bunrei' refers to the concept of dividing a kami's spirit, a practice employed through a ceremony called 'kanjō' to establish new shrines or veneration sites.

Explanation: Foxes are traditionally considered messengers of the kami Inari, not Hachiman. Doves are associated with Hachiman.

Explanation: The central supernatural entities venerated in Shinto are known as 'kami', which are believed to inhabit natural phenomena, objects, and places.

Explanation: Kami are understood as supernatural entities that inhabit diverse aspects of the world, ranging from natural phenomena to specific locations and even revered ancestors. They are not typically defined by omnipotence or immortality.

Explanation: Ancestors are often venerated as kami in Shinto, believed to continue their existence after death and act as protective spirits for their living descendants.

Explanation: 'Bunrei' refers to the division of a kami's spirit, a practice that allows for the establishment of new shrines or veneration sites while maintaining the kami's presence and power.

Explanation: Foxes ('kitsune') are widely recognized in Shinto lore as the messengers ('kami no tsukai') of Inari, the kami associated with rice, agriculture, and prosperity.

Explanation: In Shinto, 'kegare' denotes a state of ritual impurity or pollution, which practitioners aim to cleanse through purification rites ('harae'), rather than a state of purity.

Explanation: 'Misogi' is recognized as a significant purification rite within Shinto, typically involving immersion in or the use of fresh or salt water.

Explanation: 'Matsuri' are not solitary meditation practices but rather communal festivals central to Shinto worship, often marking agricultural cycles.

Explanation: 'Kagura' denotes the sacred music and dance performed as part of rituals intended to entertain or appease the kami.

Explanation: In Shinto thought, contact with death is considered a source of impurity ('kegare'), not purity. This is why traditional Shinto funerals are rare.

Explanation: 'Jichinsai' is a ritual performed *before* construction begins to sanctify the land and ask for the kami's blessings, not after completion.

Explanation: 'Naorai' is indeed a feast held after offerings have been presented to the kami, signifying a communal sharing of blessings and considered a form of communion.

Explanation: 'Hatsumōde' refers to the first shrine visit of the New Year. Tying negative fortune slips ('omikuji') to trees is a related practice, but not the definition of 'hatsumōde'.

Explanation: 'Hare-no-hi' traditionally referred to auspicious days for Shinto festivities, such as days of the new, full, or half moon, contrasting with 'ke-no-hi' (ordinary days).

Explanation: 'Temizu' is a specific purification rite performed at shrines involving water, typically for cleansing hands and mouth, distinct from the broader 'misogi' rite which also uses water.

Explanation: 'Kegare' signifies ritual impurity or pollution, which is considered detrimental and must be ritually cleansed through purification practices ('harae') to restore purity.

Explanation: 'Temizu' is a ritual purification performed by visitors at the entrance of a Shinto shrine, involving washing hands and rinsing the mouth with water from a basin ('temizuya').

Explanation: 'Matsuri' are communal festivals central to Shinto worship, frequently associated with agricultural cycles, seasons, and significant events, involving offerings and celebrations for the kami.

Explanation: The practice of 'kagura' is rooted in the myth of Ame-no-Uzume's dance, which enticed the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami to emerge from her cave, thereby restoring light.

Explanation: Contact with death is considered a source of impurity ('kegare') in Shinto, leading to taboos and the preference for Buddhist funeral rites, which are more commonly practiced.

Explanation: 'Jichinsai' is an earth sanctification ritual performed by Shinto priests prior to construction, aimed at purifying the site and invoking the kami's blessings for the project.

Explanation: 'Naorai' is a celebratory feast following Shinto rituals and offerings, where participants share food and drink, symbolizing communion with the kami and the community.

Explanation: 'Hatsumōde' refers to the traditional first visit to a Shinto shrine in the New Year, a practice undertaken to offer prayers for good fortune in the coming year.

Explanation: 'Hare-no-hi' traditionally referred to auspicious days for Shinto festivals, specifically the days of the new, full, and half moons, considered favorable for ceremonies.

Explanation: 'Misogi' is a fundamental Shinto purification ritual that involves cleansing the body, typically through immersion in or the use of water (fresh or salt), to remove impurity ('kegare').

Explanation: The designation 'kannushi' refers to Shinto priests responsible for shrine rituals and offerings, distinct from 'miko' (shrine-maidens) who may assist and perform dances.

Explanation: 'Jinja' is the general term for a public Shinto shrine dedicated to the veneration of kami; household shrines are typically referred to as 'kamidana'.

Explanation: 'Ema' are small wooden plaques utilized by practitioners at Shinto shrines for inscribing wishes or prayers intended for the kami.

Explanation: 'Miko' are typically referred to as shrine-maidens, assisting priests and performing ritual dances, rather than being the primary priests responsible for overseeing shrine rituals and offerings.

Explanation: 'Omamori' are protective amulets or talismans, distinct from 'ema', which are small wooden plaques used for writing wishes at Shinto shrines.

Explanation: 'Itako' and 'ichiko' are typically spiritual mediums, often women, rather than Shinto priests who lead major public festivals. They are known for their ability to communicate with spirits.

Explanation: 'Kadomatsu' are decorative arrangements, typically of pine, plum, and bamboo, used during the New Year to invite good fortune, distinct from sacred ropes like 'shimenawa'.

Explanation: A 'kamidana' is a household shrine or shelf for worshipping kami, typically found in homes, not a large public shrine complex ('jinja').

Explanation: The 'torii' gateway is a distinctive marker of Shinto shrines, symbolizing the entrance to sacred space, and is not typically found at Buddhist temples.

Explanation: 'Go-shintai' are indeed specific objects believed to house the kami, typically placed within the 'honden' (inner sanctuary) of a shrine and often concealed from public view.

Explanation: 'Shintai' are physical objects or natural features within a shrine that are believed to house the essence or presence of a kami, serving as the focal point of veneration.

Explanation: 'Kannushi' are Shinto priests responsible for maintaining shrines, conducting rituals, and making offerings to the kami enshrined therein.

Explanation: A 'kamidana' is a household shrine, typically found in homes, and is not an architectural component of a public shrine complex ('jinja').

Explanation: 'Ema' are small wooden plaques provided at Shinto shrines for practitioners to inscribe their wishes or prayers, which are then left at the shrine.

Explanation: 'Ofuda' are wooden talismans, often inscribed with prayers or symbols, distributed at Shinto shrines for protection and to bring good fortune.

Explanation: 'Shimenawa' are sacred ropes, often adorned with paper streamers, used to demarcate sacred spaces and traditionally displayed during the New Year to ward off evil spirits and invite good fortune.

Explanation: The 'torii' gateway serves as a demarcation between the mundane world and the sacred space of a Shinto shrine, functioning as a symbolic threshold and purification point.

Explanation: 'Omikuji' are fortune-telling slips obtained at Shinto shrines, offering predictions about various aspects of life. Those receiving unfavorable fortunes often tie them to trees or frames to symbolically discard the misfortune.

Explanation: 'Go-shintai' are typically housed within the 'honden', the most sacred inner sanctuary of a Shinto shrine, representing the physical embodiment of the kami's presence.

Explanation: Evidence suggests that kami veneration in Japan originated much earlier, during the Yayoi period (c. 300 BC – 300 AD), predating the Heian period.

Explanation: The arrival of Buddhism in Japan resulted in a complex process of syncretization ('shinbutsu-shūgō'), integrating kami worship into Buddhist cosmology rather than eradicating Shinto practices.

Explanation: During the Meiji era, 'State Shinto' was promoted with the objective of consolidating national identity and loyalty, often by emphasizing emperor worship and Shinto ideology.

Explanation: Following World War II, Shinto institutions were formally separated from state control under the new constitution, marking a significant shift from the 'State Shinto' era.

Explanation: The 'Kojiki' and 'Nihon Shoki' are foundational, albeit ancient (8th-century), texts that detail Shinto cosmogony and mythology, not modern texts.

Explanation: 'Dotaku', the bronze bells characteristic of the Yayoi period, are considered significant artifacts likely associated with kami-based rituals and ceremonies.

Explanation: The 'Jingikan', or Council of Kami Affairs, was established as part of the Ritsuryō legal code and was responsible for conducting state rites and coordinating Shinto practices within early Japanese governance.

Explanation: During the expansion of the Empire of Japan, Shinto shrines were established not only within Japan's main islands but also in conquered territories and abroad by emigrants.

Explanation: 'Shinbutsu-shūgō' accurately describes the historical process of integration and syncretization between Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, where kami were often viewed within Buddhist cosmology.

Explanation: Kami veneration is traced to the Yayoi period. The influence of Buddhism, arriving later, led to the anthropomorphic depiction of kami, moving away from earlier, less defined representations.

Explanation: Buddhism's arrival led to syncretism ('shinbutsu-shūgō'), wherein kami were integrated into Buddhist cosmology, often seen as manifestations of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, and shared temple-shrine complexes.

Explanation: 'State Shinto' was a government-promoted ideology during the Meiji era aimed at unifying the nation by fostering loyalty to the emperor and promoting Shinto rituals and beliefs as integral to Japanese identity.

Explanation: Following World War II, the Allied occupation mandated the separation of Shinto from the state, ending its status as a national cult and establishing religious freedom for all citizens.

Explanation: The 'Kojiki' (Record of Ancient Matters) and the 'Nihon Shoki' (Chronicles of Japan), both compiled in the 8th century, are foundational texts that narrate Japanese creation myths and the lineage of the imperial family.

Explanation: 'Dotaku' are significant artifacts from the Yayoi period, believed to have been utilized in rituals and ceremonies related to kami veneration and agricultural practices.

Explanation: The 'Jingikan' was established to manage state religious rites and coordinate Shinto practices across the realm, playing a crucial role in the integration of religion and governance.

Explanation: The expansion of the Japanese Empire facilitated the establishment of Shinto shrines in occupied territories and abroad, serving to propagate Japanese culture and religious practices.

Explanation: 'Shinbutsu-shūgō' is the term used to describe the historical integration and syncretization of Shinto and Buddhist beliefs and practices in Japan.

Explanation: Shinto ethics are not characterized by a strictly codified moral law book; instead, they emphasize virtues such as sincerity, honesty, and harmony, and adherence to the natural order ('kannagara').

Explanation: 'Musubi' represents dynamic, creative, and generative forces within Shinto cosmology, embodying the principle of growth and transformation, not a static state.

Explanation: 'Kannagara' signifies the way of the kami and the natural order of the cosmos; the disruption of this order is considered negative, emphasizing harmony and adherence to the natural flow.

Explanation: Shinto ethics emphasize virtues such as 'makoto' (sincerity), 'tadashii' (uprightness), and 'kansha' (thanksgiving) towards the kami, rather than strict adherence to a divine law.

Explanation: 'Musubi' represents the dynamic, creative, and generative forces inherent in the universe, embodying the principle of growth, transformation, and the interconnectedness of all existence.

Explanation: 'Kannagara' signifies the inherent way of the kami and the natural order of the universe. Maintaining harmony ('wa') within this order is considered virtuous.