Starting about 500 (or earlier) from Japan. It remains Japan's major religion besides Buddhism. Shinto spread to North America and Canada too and its membership worldwide is 2.7 million.

Tokyo's Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji.

What is Shintoism?

Its roots lie deep in the prehistoric religious practices and traditions of the Japanese people..
Shintoism has gods, which are called kami. The kami are deities, that are regarded as gods (such as the sun from whom the imperial family is said to have descended). Others are regarded as divinized souls of great persons, ancestral divinities of clans, spirits of specific places, often of natural beauty or more abstractly, the forces of nature
Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami.

The Name
The name Shinto comes from Chinese characters for Shen - 'divine being', and Tao - 'way'; and means 'Way of the Gods' or 'Way of the Spirits', or, best of all, 'Way of the Kami'.

Aspects of Shinto as a religion
== Shinto is a nature oriented religion. Every element of the physical world has a sacred side for Shinto. The religion promotes harmony between the divine, human, and natural worlds.
It's shrines demonstrate a fusion of spirituality and natural world. Shinto has many faces and forms, and has gone through radical changes especially in the last two centuries

== Shinto is very much a community oriented religion. The population of a Japanese town will have a stronger allegiance to their local shrine, rather than to a central institutionalized faith. But again some of the very big shrines also have a country wide following. .
Shrine visiting and taking part in festivals, often joyful sometimes even rowdy, play a great part in binding local communities together. Shrine visiting at New Year is the most popular shared national event in Japan, with millions taking part.

== Shinto is so clearly focused on Japan and the Japanese people that one can call it an ethnic religion.

== Shinto s also a strong popular religion. Japanese continue to take part in Shinto rituals, and often visit some of the 100,000 Shinto shrines that are spread over the country.

== Shinto sees human beings has no concept of original sin. It also sees this world as a good place. Much Shinto ritual and practice celebrates life and the world.
== Shinto is also a religion that coexists. The majority of Japanese follow Buddhism as well as Shinto. (83% of Japanese follow Shinto, 76% follow Buddhism)

== Shinto is a religion with a practical and ritual response to the world, rather than an intellectual one. Instead of creed and creator, Shinto focuses on rituals and tradition. People follow Shinto by taking part in festivals and rituals, visiting shrines, and practicing some cultural activities. This is in line with the importance of ritual and form in secular Japanese life.

== Shinto has not been an established or state religion since World War II. The post-war Japanese constitution forbids the Japanese state from having any connection with any religion. Despite this, Shinto is a key ingredient in various ceremonies performed by the Emperor.

== Shinto is a religion in times of need. The kami are willing to help anyone who needs their help and asks for it with sincerity and purity. Shinto does not require a track record of commitment and belief from those, who turn to the faith when they want something.

== Shinto is a religion of this world. Everything, including the spiritual, is experienced as part of this world. Shinto has no place for any transcendental other world.

== Shinto is a religion with a wide group of movements and practices under the Shinto label - not surprising since it grew out of the coming together of different local religions that had a common theme.

== Some think that Shinto is more than a religion. They regard it as the Japanese way of looking at the world.

Forms of Shinto
In the Meiji Period, Shinto was made Japan's state religion. Shinto priests became state officials, important shrines started to receive governmental funding, Japan's creation myths were used to foster an emperor cult, and efforts were made to separate and emancipate Shinto from Buddhism.
After World War II, Shinto and the state were separated. At that time The Emperor was forced by the American army to renounce his divinity.

Shinto exists in four main forms or traditions, which are closely linked. Shinto is a tolerant religion, which accepts the validity of other religions. It is common for a believer to pay respects to other religions, their practices and objects of worship.

The four main forms are

1)Koshitsu Shinto (The Shinto of the Imperial House):
This involves rituals performed by the emperor. The most important ritual is Niinamesai, which makes an offering to the deities of the first fruits of each year's grain harvest. Male and female clergy (Shoten and Nai-Shoten) assist the emperor in the performance of these rites.

2) Jinja Shinto(Shrine)
This is the largest Shinto group and is the original form of the religion. It's roots date back into pre-history. Until the end of World War II, it was closely aligned with State Shinto. The Emperor of Japan was worshipped as a living God. Currently this group includes about 80,000 shrines as members.

3) Kyoha (Sectarian) Shinto
This consists of 13 sects, founded by individuals since the start of the 19th century. Each sect has its own beliefs and doctrines. Most emphasize worship of their own central deity; some follow a near-monotheistic religion.

4) Minzoku (Folk) Shinto :
This is not a separate Shinto group. It is seen in local rural practices and rituals, e.g. small images by the side of the road, agriculture rituals practiced by individual families, etc. A rural community will often select a layman annually, who will be responsible for worshiping the local deity.

Shinto Today
People seek support from Shinto by praying at a home altar or by visiting shrines. A whole range of talismans is available at shrines for a manifold of purposes. A large number of wedding ceremonies are held in Shinto style.
The death of the body, however, is considered a source of impurity, and is left to Buddhism to deal with. Consequently, there are virtually no Shinto cemeteries, and most funerals are held in Buddhist style

Gods of Shinto
Shinto creation stories tell of the history and lives of the Kami. Among them was a divine couple, Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto, who gave birth to the Japanese islands.

Their children became the deities of the various Japanese clans. Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) was one of their daughters. She is the ancestress of the Imperial Family. Her descendants unified the country. Her brother, Susano came down from heaven and roamed throughout the earth. He is famous for killing a great evil serpent. The Sun Goddess is regarded as the chief deity. There are numerous other deities who are conceptualized in many forms.

Some are related to natural objects and creatures, from food to rivers to rocks. There are Guardian Kami of particular areas and clans. Some are exceptional past people, including all but the last of the emperors. Some are abstract creative forces. They are seen as benign; they sustain and protect. There are no concepts comparable to Christian beliefs in the wrath of God, his omnipotence and omni-presence, or the separation of God from humanity due to sin.

Ancestors are deeply revered and worshipped. All of humanity is regarded as Kami's child. Thus all human life and human nature is sacred. Believers revere musuhi, the Kamis' creative and harmonizing powers. They aspire to have makoto, sincerity or true heart. This is regarded as the way or will of Kami. Morality is based upon that which is of benefit to the group.
Shinto emphasizes right practice, sensibility, and attitude.

Some prominent rocks are worshipped as kami.
Shinto relation with other religions

Buddhism and Shinto
Shinto established itself, along with Buddhism. The introduction of Buddhism in the 6th century was followed by a few initial conflicts, however, the two religions were soon able to co-exist harmoniously and even complement each other. Within Shinto, the Buddha was viewed as another "Kami". Meanwhile, Buddhism in Japan regarded the Kami as being manifestations of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Most weddings are performed by Shinto priests; funerals are performed by Buddhist priests.

Those who follow both religions are able both to distinguish between them, and to reconcile the beliefs and faiths of the two religions in their everyday lives. This reflects the way in which Buddhism and Shinto combined to form the religious background to Japanese life for most of the country's history.

Christian and Shinto
Early Christian missionaries were hostile to Shinto. In more recent times it was seen by some Christians as a civil rites enrichment to their own faith so that they were willing to allow Japanese Christians to practice Shinto as well as Christianity.

Practices
Shinto is very much connected with celebrations.
Shinto recognizes many sacred places: mountains, springs, etc. Each shrine is dedicated to a specific Kami, who has a divine personality and responds to sincere prayers of the faithful. When entering a shrine, one passes through a special gateway which marks the demarcation between the finite and the infinite world.
In the past, believers practiced misogi, the washing of their bodies in a river near the shrine. In recent years pollution has taken its toll and followers now only wash their hands and mouth in a wash basin provided within the shrine
Believers respect animals as messengers of the Gods. And in many shrines a pair of statues of Koma-inu (guard dogs) face each other Shrine ceremonies, which include cleansing, offerings, prayers, and dances are directed to the Kami.
Kagura are ritual dances accompanied by ancient musical instruments. The dances are performed by skilled and trained dancers. They consist of young virgin girls, a group of men, or a single man.
Mamori are charms worn as an aid in healing and protection. They come in many different forms for various purposes.
An altar, the Kami-dana (Shelf of Gods), is given a central place in many homes.

Seasonal celebrations are held at spring planting, fall harvest, and special anniversaries of the history of a shrine or of a local patron spirit. Followers are expected to visit Shinto shrines at the times of various life passages.
Many followers are involved in the "offer a meal movement," in which each individual bypasses a breakfast (or another meal) once per month and donates the money saved to their religious organization for international relief and similar activity.

Texts of Shinto:
Many texts are valued in the Shinto religion. Most date from the 8th century CE:
The Kojiki :Record of Ancient Matters
The Rokkokushi :Six National Histories
The Shoku Nihongi and its Nihon Shoki :Continuing Chronicles of Japan
The Jinno Shotoki :a study of Shinto and Japanese politics and history, written in the 14th century.

Important Place of Shinto
Mount Fuji in Japan, is sacred to the Shinto religions, Torii Gate, Mitaraiba
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
The island of Itsukushima, in the Seto inland sea, has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times. The first shrine buildings here were probably erected in the 6th century. The present shrine dates from the 13th century and the harmoniously arranged buildings reveal great artistic and technical skill. The shrine plays on the contrasts in colour and form between mountains and sea and illustrates the Japanese concept of scenic beauty, which combines nature and human creativity.