Part 3: What I Thought I Knew Before

What I knew about Shinto was fairly limited. I knew that the Japanese believed in kami as some sort of divinities, like gods or angels; and that these kami were the ‘gods’ of natural objects, houses, etc. I also knew that Shinto was related to shrines and rituals; and shrines come in many different sizes, from small altars to larger elaborate temples. I also realized that Japan had other ‘religions’ or schools of thought, including Confucianism, Zen Buddhism, and Taoism. But, I did not understand how or even if, these different schools interacted and lived together. I knew that Japan had a strong sense of ancestor worship, but I wasn’t sure if this was related to Shinto or something different.