Shimbutsudo:
A Web Page for the Study of Japanese Religions

Introduction. This refereed Web page is dedicated to the scholarly study of Japanese religions. It has been put together as a collaborative effort with selected students from my classes in Japanese Religions and in Asian Religious Philosophies at the University of Wisconsin -- Eau Claire from 1999 to the present.

The material has been organized for the sake of convenience into two columns -- the one on the left for Shinto and the one on the right for Buddhism. However, it should be noted that this arrangement is sometimes rather arbitrary, because Shinto and Buddhist ideas have become so thoroughly amalgamated over the centuries as to make them virtually inseparable. For example, Daikoku is placed in the left column because, as an agricultural deity, he is closely associated with the Shinto kami O-Kuni-Nushi and Inari; yet on the other hand the cult of Daikoku also exemplifies the tendencies to blend indigenous Japanese traditions with ideas drawn from Chinese Buddhism. Conversely, Hotei is placed in the right column because, as a Zen priest originally from China, his chief function is to serve as an exemplar of Buddhist values; yet on the other hand, his association with New Year's day and his role as a distributor of foods, gifts, and fortune-telling suggest agricultural harvest motifs harking back to Shinto. The fact that both Daikoku and Hotei are included among the Shichi Fukujin, or Seven Lucky Gods of Japan, serves as a reminder that Japanese Shinto and Buddhism have become aspects of a single religious worldview. Hence the name of this Web site, "Shimbutsudo," which means, roughly translated, "the Way of Shinto-Buddhism."

The essays on this page are very much of a team effort between my students and me, and I have often seen fit to make substantial contributions in my role as editor. It should be acknowledged at once, however, that neither I nor any of the other authors is a Japanese speaker or a specialist in Japanese religions. Our work is based entirely on the English translations and secondary sources provided at the conclusion of each article. As an ongoing academic project, Shimbutsudo inevitably must remain incomplete; indeed, even to approach completion would require decades of work and hundreds of contributors. Nevertheless, despite its flaws and lacunae, I hope that this undertaking may be of some value to those with an interest in this fascinating topic.

-- Dr. Edward A. Beach, Shimbutsudo Editor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Wisconsin -- Eau Claire
   16 November, 2008

Shinto and Its Kami Three Creator Kami      by Edward Beach Hachiman      by Scott Hansen, Anthony Huenerbein,      and Krista Moore Izanagi and Izanami: Creators of Japan      by Signe Jorgenson and Sara Opsteen Amaterasu Omikami      by J.C. Moua and Seth Tabor Tsukiyomi      by Kristina Kempf Susano-O      by Kimberley Winkelmann O-Kuni-Nushi      by Carri Ferber Ninigi no Mikoto      by Russell Cooley Ame-no-Uzume      by Joseph Ziehr Ho-Deri, Ho-Wori, and Toyo-Tama-Hime      by Persia Davis and Laura Stoutenburgh Inari      by Becky Yoose Daikoku      by Ryan Grube

Buddhist Ideas and Movements The Descent of Amida      by Genshin Yakushi Nyorai      by Suzanne Bodoh Shinran      by Kimberly Ann Long Hotei      by Jennifer Polden Soto Zen      by Greg Schneider The Religious Dimensions of Go      by Greg Schneider

Edward Beach, beachea@uwec.edu

Last updated: March 24, 2010

Return to the Shimbutsudo Website

Return to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire