Shinto Religion Vs. The Ainu Religion

The similarities between the Shinto religion and religion of the Ainu people are striking. However, these claims of Shinto evolving from the Ainu religion have been under great debate. The Japanese see themselves as children of the Sun in Shinto religion and descendant from this god. The Ainu person being the indigenous people of Japan stirs much controversy. The Ainu people look nothing like the Japanese, the Ainu are of a more Caucasian looking than the Japanese. The Ainu grow great beards which vary in color from brows blondes and shades of red, have white skin and can also have blue eyes. This is in stark contrast to the physical attributes of the Japanese people who rarely grow thick facial hair, have a variance of hair and eye coloring, and do not have a white skin tone. At this point in time it is up to the researcher to decide whether Shinto has evolved from the Ainu people or developed

Kami are believed to be spirits who inhabit or watch over certain objects, activities or locations. Kami can be purely spiritual beings, spirit animals and can also be the “spirits” of people from the past who have accomplished great deeds. Kami can also be ancestors who have passed on and now watch over their descendants. The Shinto religion is also a religion of honoring the past and paying respect to those that have come before. Shinto influence can be seen throughout Japan, it can be seen in the mixture of the old and new. This is evident in the architecture or Japans buildings and preservation of ancient sacred sites. The Shinto influence can also be seen in the dress style and upholding of ancient customs. Modern day Japan is a blending of the old and the new, which is a physical manifestation of a central belief of the Shinto religion. The belief that Kami inhabit everything and that the old will watch over the