Deck 8: Encountering Shinto: the Way of the Kami

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true of the number of kami in Shinto religion?

A)The kami are virtually countless.
B)The kami exist in three forms.
C)The kami exist in five forms.
D)There exists only one kami.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Why does Shinto ethics avoid absolute moral rules?

A)It has its base in the liberal ways of indigenous religions.
B)It believes that humans are born pure.
C)It does not believe that humans are born morally perfect.
D)It does not consider its spirits to be morally perfect.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The three Shinto sects identified during the Meiji period are "sect Shinto," "state Shinto," and:

A)"class Shinto."
B)"school Shinto."
C)"mountain Shinto."
D)"shrine Shinto."

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The significant Shinto holy place, which is completely reconstructed on a schedule, established by the imperial family is called:

A)the Yasukuni Shrine.
B)the Sensoji Shrine.
C)the Maitreya Shrine.
D)the Ise Shrine.

Question 5

Despite rising secularization since World War II, Japan remains the most:

A)successful country in the world of business.
B)religious country in the developed world.
C)law-abiding country in the developed world.
D)technologically advanced country in the world.

Question 6

Japan's postwar constitution:

A)made Buddhism illegal.
B)made Shinto the state religion.
C)separated religion and state.
D)made Confucianism illegal.

Question 7

Shinto means:

A)"the way."
B)"the people."
C)"the way of nature."
D)"the way of the gods."

Question 8

Japanese myths refer to what husband-and-wife gods as the creators of Japan?

A)Kami and Kazi
B)Izanagi and Izanami
C)Orolun and Orisha
D)Babalawo and Iyalawo

Question 9

Which of the following statements is true of the kami?

A)They are identified with natural features.
B)They are identified only with living objects.
C)They are all-knowing deities.
D)They are the ancestors of the followers of the Shinto religion.

Question 10

Shinto is primarily a religion of:

A)formal rituals.
B)doctrines.
C)ethics.
D)organization.

Question 11

When Akihito became emperor in 1989, with whom did he spent one night as a guest?

A)Sun Goddess
B)Sea Goddess
C)kami
D)high god

Question 12

The kami don't serve as moral examples because:

A)they aren't always perfect in their behavior.
B)they are not high gods.
C)they are associated with the evil energies in nature.
D)they are not divine beings.

Question 13

What does the term "kamikaze" literally mean?

A)"ten thousand years"
B)"Divine Wind"
C)"sect Shinto"
D)"state Shinto"

Question 14

The Kojiki are:

A)the "Records of Ancient Matters."
B)"Collected Shinto myths."
C)the "Confucian proverbs in Japanese."
D)the "Religious verses of Shinto religion."

Question 15

The overall aims of Shinto ethics are to:

A)promote harmony and purity in all spheres.
B)harness the power of nature and control it.
C)promote a set of commands and teach people how to lead a good life.
D)advise people to accept and follow the teachings of the kami.

Question 16

Around 1700, a movement within Shinto emphasized that the Japanese people:

A)were the soldiers of the gods.
B)must not worship idols.
C)were the descendants of the gods.
D)must practice Buddhism.

Question 17

The kami are:

A)all-knowing deities.
B)identified with places.
C)identified exclusively with living objects.
D)separated from the natural world.

Question 18

What is the most common symbol of Shinto?

A)the shrine mirror
B)the garb of the Shinto priests
C)the honden
D)the torii

Question 19

The kami particularly dislike:

A)oil.
B)incense sticks.
C)blood.
D)water.

Question 20

In general, Shinto ethics are based on:

A)a set of commands.
B)virtues that tell one how to behave.
C)following the general will of the kami.
D)accepting the kami as all-knowing.

Question 21

The ritual involving emas in Shinto religion is understood today more as what than as praying?

A)"asking for wishes"
B)"casting spells"
C)"granting blessings"
D)"invoking evil spirits"

Question 22

As the Japanese became more accustomed to integrating Shinto and Buddhism, they accepted that the _________ were the incarnations of the Buddha.

A)lamas
B)orishas
C)shamans
D)kami

Question 23

Most Shinto priests:

A)are "females."
B)are "volunteers."
C)are "not graduates."
D)are "not married."

Question 24

In Shinto shrines, priests are assisted by a team of shrine maidens called:

A)miko.
B)kazi.
C)olorun.
D)iyalawo.

Question 25

The _________ of Futami, Japan, celebrate the marriage of male and female.

A)"Wedded Rocks"
B)"Wedded Towers"
C)"Wedded Trees"
D)"Wedded Flowers"

Question 26

The wooden plaques inscribed with prayers and wishes that are posted at Shinto shrines are referred to as:

A)gris-gris.
B)ema.
C)omikuji.
D)kamidana.

Question 27

During the Meiji period, Buddhism was separated from Shinto and the _________ were no longer seen as bodhisattvas.

A)lamas
B)orishas
C)shamans
D)kami

Question 28

How do worshipers typically obtain an omikuji at a Shinto shrine?

A)by ringing the holy bell
B)by paying about 100 yen
C)by sacrificing animals
D)by offering a statue of the kami to a Shinto shrine

Question 29

The Shinto main sanctuary buildings are traditionally built from:

A)stone.
B)wood.
C)cane.
D)hay.

Question 30

During Shinto wedding rituals, after a couple is ritually purified, the priest offers prayers for their good fortune and happiness, as well as for protection and guidance by the:

A)shamans
B)iyalawo
C)kami
D)miko

Question 31

_________, "the way of the gods," is an indigenous religion with its origins in ancient times.

A)Yoruba
B)Lakota
C)Shinto
D)Islam

Question 32

What is the main sanctuary building of a Shinto shrine called?

A)torii
B)honden
C)kojiki
D)matsuri

Question 33

A difference between a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple is that:

A)the latter has a torii gate at the entrance, while the former does not have a gate.
B)the former has buildings with a "natural" look, whereas the latter has buildings with a more decorated look.
C)the former has a pagoda, while the latter does not have one.
D)the latter has a pair of guardian dogs or lions on each side of the entrance, whereas the former has two flowering trees at the entrance.

Question 34

Shinto refers to fortunes on preprinted slips of paper as what?

A)emas
B)gris-gris
C)torii
D)omikuji

Question 35

Lisa Kuly says that a contemporary miko is typically:

A)a widow.
B)the wife of a Shinto shrine's priest.
C)a political leader.
D)a university student.

Question 36

_________ are spirits, deities, or essences found in both animate and inanimate objects.

A)Mikos
B)Kahuna
C)Shamans
D)Kami

Question 37

What is the name of the controversial shrine that honors, among others, Japanese officials convicted of war crimes in World War II?

A)Ise.
B)Meiji.
C)Yasukuni.
D)Kodana.

Question 38

The kami are summoned by a series of brief actions.Which of the following is one of the actions involved in summoning a kami?

A)blowing a horn
B)clapping hands once
C)bowing twice
D)offering blood

Question 39

Which of these is a main, regular task of the Shinto priesthood?

A)to overlook the political scenario of Japan
B)to perform voodoo magic
C)to manage the Shinto shrines
D)to ensure that the secrets of the Shinto religion are limited to the great shrines

Question 40

The Shinto priest (or priests) conduct wedding ceremonies at the front of a shrine, after a formal procession, and are assisted by:

A)orishas.
B)iyalawos.
C)kami.
D)mikos.

Question 41

Kamikaze pilots were Buddhists who attained instant enlightenment by their acts of martyrdom.

Question 42

In Shinto religion, worship at the kamidana includes offering :

A)food.
B)omikujis.
C)blood.
D)gris-gris.

Question 43

Small movements to practice Shinto have arisen in certain areas in North America.

Question 44

Traditionally, Shinto shrines had men called miko acting in the role of the priest.

Question 45

Among Canadian residents of Japanese ancestry, approximately _______ percent call themselves Shintoists.

A)one
B)five
C)twenty
D)fifty

Question 46

Shinto is a combination of Buddhism and Confucianism.

Question 47

What is a kamidana?

Question 48

Shinto has developed teachings about both this world as well as the next.

Question 49

Do the people of Japan believe in life after death?

Question 50

Traditional Japanese have a small shrine or worship space in their house or outdoors in which they have a(n):

A)tori.
B)omikuji.
C)ema.
D)kamidana.

Question 51

The Fushimi Inari shrine near Kyoto has thousands of torii.

Question 52

Shinto wedding rituals take place in front of a shrine.

Question 53

Although the people of and in Japan combine Shinto with Buddhism, people of Japanese descent living outside Japan typically see themselves only as Shinto if they keep to one of the traditional Japanese religions.

Question 54

Discuss Shinto wedding rituals.

Question 55

Name a Shinto shrine situated in America.

Question 56

The practice of providing commemorative meals at funerals is no longer seen in Japan today.

Question 57

What was the religious nature of Japan prior to the arrival of Buddhism?

Question 58

In Japanese tradition, when is the "feast of consecration" held?

Question 59

Shinto teaches that humans are born with both good and evil thoughts, and they must turn toward the good.

Question 60

Discuss how funerals are conducted in Japan today.

Question 61

Why do independent-minded religious seekers find Shinto religion appealing?