Shinto , or "the way of the gods", only received its name in the sixth century to distinguish it from the newly arrived Buddhism. Gods are felt to be present in natural phenomena, for example mountains, trees, waterfalls, strangely shaped rocks, even in sounds. But Shinto is more than just a nature-worshipping faith; it is an amalgam of attitudes, ideas and ways of doing things that for more than 2000 years has become an integral part of what it is to be Japanese. Shinto is a personal faith in the kami , a communal way of life in accordance with the mind of the kami and a spiritual life attained through worship of and communion with the kami . People are believed to be the children of both their parents and kami and therefore owe their lives to both society and nature. In return for the love and protection they receive, they are obliged to treat both of them with loyalty and honesty, and to continue the family line showing kindness and guidance to their descendants.

Throughout most of Japanese history, Shinto did not play a particularly important role in state politics. This all changed, however, after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 when Shinto was revived as the dominant religion, largely to re-establish the cult of the emperor, while Buddhism was suppressed. Thus started the most sinister episode of Japan's religious and political life: State Shinto .

State Shinto ushered in a period of extreme nationalism which lasted from around 1890 to 1945. During this period, Japan's mythological origins were taught as historical fact and people were encouraged to believe that all Japanese were descended from the imperial line. At the same time, the traditional values of loyalty, inner strength and self-denial expressed in bushido (the way of the warrior) were promoted as desirable personal qualities. Such sentiments were milked by the 1930s military regime to foster a national sense of superiority. Ultimately, this potent cocktail created a highly dedicated nation on the eve of World War II. After the war, Emperor Hirohito was forced to renounce his divinity, to become a merely titular head of state, and the State branch of Shinto was abolished.