LWIF EP135: Japan: Where Gods Aren’t Gods and Worshipers Aren’t Religious

Have you ever wondered about all the gates (torii) you see around Japan? They are entrances to the sacred ground of Shinto shrines (jinja). While some might see Japan’s traditional practices of Shinto as a religion, and their various kami as gods, it’s not quite as simple as that.

Special thanks to David Chart for explaining the ins and outs of Shinto. Find out more about Shinto on his blog at https://www.mimusubi.com/ and support his writing on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/mimusubi.

Also a big thanks to Yushima Tenjin http://www.yushimatenjin.or.jp/pc/index.htm and Shirahata-san http://shira80000.com for letting us film on their sacred grounds. As mentioned in the video, tourists snapshots at jinja are fine, but you should get permission to film within the sacred space if you’ll be using for the commercial or YouTube purposes.

Lastly, thanks to my Patreon supporters who help me make videos like this. Become a patron yourself at https://www.patreon.com/lifewhereimfrom.

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