Shinto And Its Connection With The Earth

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Shinto and its connection with the earth The Shinto Religion has a deep connection with the earth and strives deep within Japanese culture. The Creation story of Shinto talks of seven generations of gods or deities before the land of Japan or Nippon is actually created from the drops of water from a spear. The Japanese people are dependent on the sea for most of their resources so they honour that commitment by taking care of the sea. The story of how earth quakes are made it is said that a giant catfish will begin to rumble under the island. There are many examples of humans becoming deities showing earthly people being shown as deities. The god of harvest and wealth is always seen carrying a sack of rice and a mallet. This shows that wealth comes from the ground and hard work. Temples can vary in size but most are located in quite places (with a few exceptions that are close to markets) and are all indentified by statues in front of them called Torii that ward off evil spirits. The gods of this religion are ones of nature. Shrines are sacred places that have been built around sacred objects or places. Japan is home to a few of the largest fish markets in the world and has become known around the world for its sushi dishes. Many people make their livings on either catching fish or selling fish. This is quite evident when the creation story of Shinto is examined the land is actually a gift from the water showing that in order for the land to be successful you must use resources from the water. Japan has encountered many earthquakes through history and the legend of the earthquake is on that shows the belief in nature around the Shinto people. It was once said that a giant cat fish would start earthquakes under Japan; proving that the people of the Shinto people are truly dependant on the sea and the creatures in it. Livings depend on the so death is blamed on

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