Shinto is often described as Japan’s indigenous religion—but can it expand beyond Japan? While traditionally tied to Japanese culture, shrines, and national identity, modern practitioners argue that ...

Shimane Prefecture — located in the southwest of Japan’s main island near Hiroshima Prefecture — is an off-the-beaten-path ...

In hotspots like Kyoto you sometimes have to queue for the queues, but escaping the country’s overtourism problem couldn’t be simpler ...

Shinto is Japan’s indigenous religion that goes back centuries. It is an animism that believes there are thousands of kami, or spirits, inhabiting nature, such as forests, rivers and mountains.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. A shrine parishioner throws icy cold water on himself during the annual cold-endurance festival at Kanda ...

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at a Buddhist temple in downtown Tokyo, eagerly stretching their hands to catch the dried ...

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at a Buddhist temple in downtown Tokyo, eagerly stretching their hands to catch the dried ...

25 x 35 cm. (9.8 x 13.8 in.) ...

Tourism, climate goals, and animal rights concerns are sparking a plant-based renaissance in a country famous for sushi and ...

You don’t need to pay for spirituality. Japanese cults often draw from ancient religious and philosophical traditions that have shaped the country’s history. Shinto, the indigenous religion, remained ...

Ageuma Shinji, a Shinto ritual, is held at the shrine on May 4 and 5 every year. Horses carrying young riders in traditional warrior attire rush up the steep slope during the festival. It is ...