Number of Adherents

Shinto is the major religion of Japan and has not spread from Japan to such great extent ( recorded from a census, only about 60,000 adherents are thought to live outside of Japan). Shinto is consisted of almost 75 to 90% of the Japanese population It is difficult for a foreigner to embrace Shintoism because it is transmitted from generation to generation by experiencing the rituals together as  a group. Adherent counts for this religion are problematic and often misunderstood because many adherents of Shinto are also adherents of Buddhism making it difficult to find out who is who. One source estimates that there are 1000 followers of Shinto in North America and only 445 in Canada have been recorded. Overall, the total numbers of Shinto living in the world are from 2.8 to 3.2 million people.

Shintos RULE!

Cultural Significance

Shinto has been called "the religion of Japan" and even though the culture is no longer practiced as strictly as before World War II, Shintoism still impacts the tradition and culture of Japan.  A cultural significance of Shinto is the importance of ceremonies. One of them includes Marriages which are performed as Shinto rituals, reflecting the traditional beliefs of the followers. One of the biggest festivals of Japan includes the “New year’s festival” where thousands of people join to be a part of it. Believers typically visit Shinto shrines to wish for good luck and other personal desires.  A more explicit link to Shinto is seen in sumo wrestling, where, even in the modern version of the sport, many Shinto-inspired ceremonies must be performed before a bout, such as purifying the wrestling arena by sprinkling it with salt.  Many Japanese cultural customs, like using wooden chopsticks and removing shoes before entering a building, have their origin in Shinto beliefs and practices.