Japan's ancient religion struggles to adapt to modern times Nov 13 The Associated Press / ISE, Japan----| The steady crowds cross an arched bridge and follow a pebbled path into a forest of towering cypress trees, bowing before a simple gate that stands between them and the holiest place in Japan ? the inner sanctuary of the Grand Shrines of Ise
....The masses who come to this [national shrine] city on Japan's central coast once would have been called pilgrims.
Today, they are mostly just tourists. They offer quick prayers, buy a pocket-sized charm or two and head off to their next destination.
Such is the heart of Shinto, Japan's native religion. As old perhaps as Japan itself, Shinto is a rich mixture of folklore, reverence for all things natural and the Japanese nation itself.
But to say one believes in Shinto has become almost meaningless: For most Japanese, the worshipping side of Shinto is relegated to a small cadre of priests and their helpers, most of whom inherited their jobs from ancestors. ...more----