Shinto

            A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine, by John K. Nelson, is an actual account of one man's yearlong observations at the Suwa Shrine in Japan. Shintoism, though not a religion in Western terms, is a way of life deeply embedded within Japanese culture. It has a focus more so on the day-to-day activities of a person, than it does concerning the afterlife of a believer. Primarily responsible for keeping the Japanese unified throughout the years, Shinto is indirectly an external controlling force in Japanese society, shown through the strong implementation of Shinto practices to younger generations, the large festivals of Shinto, and the involvement in every aspect of Japanese life. With these factors, the teachings of Shinto are preserved and increase in Japanese culture.
             The younger generations have little choice but to abide by the teachings of the Shinto "from an early age, strict practices as part of the ceremonies are instilled within them and are usually passed down over the years. The hatsuiyamairi ( first shrine visit) is a ceremony normally held after a child is a month old, to ask for the Kami's blessing on the baby. Another example of such practice is the dedicatory festival of shichi-go-san, translated in English as seven-five-three. This is one of the earliest Shinto ceremonies that a child goes through in Japan, and occurs at the ages of three, five, and seven years of age during the autumn season. Not just seen as a festival created to send a request for a healthy and joyous life, the shichi-go-san, in conjunction with the hatsumiyamairi, are viewed more as " rites instill[ing] respect for the Kami as well as the feeling that the Kami is intimately involved in that child's development, much as a kindly relative is'- (Nelson 161). This is basically stating that a parent must devoutly place a child through rigid Shinto practice to be assured the child will become an honorable person.