How did Shinto influence the Japaneses people's initial impressions of the Portuguese?
Shinto remains Japan's most popular religion alongside Buddhism today and that was a similar pattern to the religious beliefs in Feudal Japanese times. Shinto has no divine creator, like Buddhism but is instead focused on the followers devotion to invisble spirits (such as the kami), spiritual practices at shrines and daily rituals.
There is no musts and absolutes in Shinto, much unlike other religions such as Islam and Christianity. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. The purpose of the main part of Shinto is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to
the kami.
the kami.
Daily WorshippingMost Shintos worship daily. It is an individual affair but can be done in groups while each person is individually worshipping and can be done in the home or in a shrine. There is usually a Shinto priest at the shrines. Before and after worship the worshipper bows. Sometimes they will also bring offerings to the kami. This is meant to help purify their souls. Much worshipping is also done outside as that is seen to be the best place to connect with the kami. For a long time in Feudal Japan there were no Shinto shrines as all of the worshipping was done outside.
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KamiKami are invisible spirits which take form in concepts and occasionally physical things such as wind, mountains, rain, sunshine, fertility, plants, rivers and lakes. When a human dies they become Kami, known then as ancestral kami to their family. The most important kami to the shinto Japanese people is the Amaterasu kami.
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The Importance of Cleanliness
The Shinto people believe it is very important to remain clean as this is meant to help with purification of one's self. If one was clean it was believed that would increase their chances of becoming honoured and respected kami after death. It was believed that this in conjunction with worshipping often would make you a honoured kami. The Japanese started bathing daily years before other cultures did it ot of hygiene reasons. So when the Portuguese came, smelly and only bathing once every few months as well as eating with their hands the Japanese thought they were barbaric. This lead to initial impressions of the Portuguese being beneath the Japanes