Is the religion Shinto or Shintoism?

Shinto = Way of the Gods (or literally, Gods' Path). This is cognate with Chinese Shendao and Korean Sindo. Sometimes, in order to avoid confusion between these, Japanese Shinto is referred to as “Kami no Michi.” In Western languages, Shinto is often referred to as “Shintoism” in order to imply that it is a religion of sorts. read more

Shinto ("the way of the Kami") is the name of the formal state religion of Japan that was first used in the 6th century C.E., although the roots of the religion go back to at least the 6th century B.C.E. Shinto has no founder, no official sacred texts, and no formalized system of doctrine. read more

Shinto today is the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of 'spirits', 'essences' , suited to various purposes such as war memorials and harvest festivals, and applies as well to various sectarian organizations. read more

Guide to the Japanese system of beliefs and traditions known as Shinto, including history, rites of life and ethics. read more