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Chapter 11: Shinto
Fill in the Blank
1. In Shinto the term “kami” means __________.
2. The primal deities who were commanded to create the Japanese Islands were __________, the Male-
Who-Invites and __________, the Female-Who-Invites.
3. The most highly revered of the Japanese deities is, __________, goddess of the sun.
4. The great-grandson of Ni-ni-gi was __________, the first human emperor of Japan.
5. The holiest shrine in Japan is at __________.
6. The __________ was the “family deity” and each family or clan had a shrine in which to honor ir.
7. __________ is a term for “mixed” Shinto, a religious practice influenced by Buddhist and Confucian
traditions.
8. __________ is considered to be the greatest scholar in Japanese history.
9. The government-fostered program of patriotic rites conducted in shrines considered national property
is called __________.
10. The greatest of all Shinto ceremonies is the __________ or Great Purification.
Multiple Choice
11. Which one of the following areas appears to have provided the dominating influence on Japanese
culture?
a. Izumo
b. Kyushi
c. Okinawa
d. Yamato
12. The “Kojiki” is a __________
a. a compilation of Shinto traditions
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b. a defense of the practices of ancient priestly families affiliated with Shinto
c. a history of Japan
d. a political treatise
13. The creation of the Japanese islands was done by __________.
a. Amaterasu
b. Izanagi and Izanami
c. Kagu-Tsuchi and Tsuki-yomi
d. Yomi
14. The deity worship of the Shinto is an example of _________.
a. agnosticism
b. atheism
c. monotheism
d. polytheism
15. According to a survey in 2004 __________ percent of the Japanese adults placed themselves in the
“no religion” category.
a. 64
b. 69
c. 70
d. 75
16. The “warrior-knight-way” is a code termed __________.
a. Bushido
b. O-Harai
c. Samurai
d. Shimenawa
17. A shogun is best described as a __________.
a. a deposed emperor
b. a feudal lord
c. a military dictator
d. a warrior
18. The Constitution of 1889 gave control of the Japanese army and navy to __________.
a. civilian authorities
b. feudal lords
c. the emperor
d. the highest shogun
19. Which of the following reasons best summarizes the reason for the attempt by Japanese scholars to
humanize and rationalize Shinto mythology in the 18th century?
a. to make it consistent with Western historical science
b. to combat the influence of Christianity
c. to make deities more accessible to believers
d. to further the integration of religion and political influence
20. Which of the following is NOT consistent with the Bushido code?
a. it preaches an attitude of courage
b. it preaches an attitude of loyalty
c. it preaches an attitude of mercy
d. it preaches an attitude of reserve
21. An important factor in the prominence of warriors in ancient Japan was __________.
a. the constant warfare with aboriginal tribes
b. warriors were the clan chiefs
c. warriors were thought to be kami spirits
d. warriors were the ruling class
22. The first culture to serve as teachers of the ancient Japanese were the __________.
a. Buddhists
b. Chinese
c. Indians
d. Koreans
23. The figures in the world’s cosmogony myths that most strongly correspond to Izanagi and Izanami
are the __________.
a. sky father and earth mother
b. storm god and wind goddess
c. sun goddess and moon god
d. thunder father and lightning mother
24. The imported religious belief that gave the Japanese a strong model of ancestor worship was
__________.
a. Buddhism
b. Confucianism
c. Daoism
d. Hinduism
25. The Restoration of 1868 refers to the __________.
a. restoration of Shinto as the dominant Japanese religion.
b. restoration of representative government to the Japanese people.
c. restoration of the emperor to sovereignty over Japan.
d. restoration of the traditional powers of the shogun over the feudal lords
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26. The abolition of state Shinto compulsory obligations on the Japanese in 1945 occurred as a result of
_________.
a. the American occupation authority
b. the Chinese military
c. the end of the Sino-Russian war
d. the League of Nations
27. The official government view of Shinto in 1882, when it separated State Shinto from Sectarian
Shinto, held that it was __________.
a. not a religion
b. not consistent with Western science
c. the only divinely inspired world religion
d. the history of Japan
28. The greatest of all Shinto ceremonies is the __________.
a. Gohei
b. Great Purification
c. Growing of Rice
d. Shimenawa
29. The female equivalent of harakiri is called __________.
a. disembowelment
b. jigai
c. seppuku
d. Tenrikyo
30. Since ancient times, the Japanese exhibited a passion for __________.
a. art
b. cleanliness
c. music
d. war
31. The earliest known Chinese records indicate that the rulers in south Japan during the Kofun period
(250 CE) were __________.
a. male chieftains
b. shamanic women
c. Shinto priests
d. warriors
32. Which modern Shinto sect features group counseling sessions and claims seven million members?
a. Omoto
b. Reiyukai
c. Rissho
d. Tenrikyo
33. A visitor entering the haiden at a typical village shrine must first __________.
a. bow to the floor
b. cover their head
c. remove their shoes
d. wash their hands and cleanse their mouth
34. The expected behavior of Japanese military leaders when captured in battle or unsuccessful in
carrying out an important mission was _________.
a. jigai
b. kojiki
c. ronin
d. seppuku
35. Which of the following is an example of how Buddhism interacts with Shinto in the Japanese home?
a. butsu-dan
b. Inari
c. kami-dana
d. seppuku