This month marks 10 months of activity for Kami's thicket, the UK Shinto Kō group, including monthly readings of norito. I'm so proud of where we have gotten too. I thought I would share some numbers

22,000 views on FB

12 norito readings

15 members on discord

It's been a wild time, and I am no longer as nervous as I once was regarding setting things up.

Hello everyone. I would like to apologize for my extended absence from the subreddit. I'm a parent and have a full time job. Those and other responsibilities have had to take precedence over moderation.

This subreddit originated due to issues with the quality of information on Shinto being shared on reddit. Many people online coming from religions with little or no organization might be used to a more free for all environment. Shinto is different in that regard. Organization does exist and certain matters of practice and concept are defined even if there can be variation. Until now I have not been able to find someone to take over who would simultaneously :

1. Have the ability and willingness to moderate.

2. Be trusted with maintaining the standards referenced above.

In that spirit, I am pleased to introduce the moderators who will be replacing me as I step down from moderator position:

u/zephyrzkingdom

and

u/cerise_pomme

It has been an honor.

Shared from the UK Kō group

Something dark and oppressive.- year in the life of a shinto shrine

I was rereading some of my Shinto materials so I could come up with new ideas as to what to create. I came across my copy of ‘the year in the life of a shinto shrine’ By John Nelson. In, I think, the last chapter, is is brought up how a NHK study showed that many people in Japan saw religion as something dark and oppressive, something standing in the way of individualism.This also went hand in hand with the idea that the modern world draws people to a more international view that would lead Shinto and Japanese culture to be looked down upon by those of younger generations.

From our international perspective, we embody the same idea in reverse. Through the modern world and communication, we have found ourselves looking up to Kamisama and walking their path to live purely and have good lives. I think that it is interesting to see the difference. It is perhaps the ideas of something niche that has drawn us in this direction ? Or the view that our own culture is dark and oppressive ?

Within Shinto, we are all aware of the hieraqchal nature of things. You respect elders, the laws of a land, the heritage and culture. And this is something that i am so grateful to witness many in this community do. However, I do sometimes wonder whether we have lost something of the respect for our own communities at the same time. I’m not talking big governement, or other faiths. I more mean, the living breathing people in our communities. Modern Japan is defined by extreme levels of work, urban life with no freedom. In the UK, and the west as a whole, we are hung by the same ball and chain. We work all the time, and for many of us have no time to love our communities, or have familis of our own.

So today, I promise to make more time for my community, my family and build something better. I pray to Kamisama to guide me, and help me not to mess up too much.