ShintoBuddhist

ShintoBuddhist is a term used to describe a person, practice, or cultural pattern that combines elements of Shinto and Buddhism. Rather than a formal religion with a single creed, it refers to the historical and ongoing blending of Shinto kami worship with Buddhist beliefs, rituals, and institutions found in Japan and in communities influenced by Japanese religious culture.

Historical background: Shinto and Buddhism arrived in Japan in different centuries and early on many people treated them as complementary rather than exclusive. The framework of shinbutsu-shūgō (the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism) and the idea of honji suijaku guided temples and shrines to share space, merge practices, and perform combined rites. In many places, kami were understood as local expressions of Buddhist truths, and Buddhist figures were venerated alongside Shinto deities.

Ritual practice and life cycles: households might maintain a kamidana (Shinto altar) and a butsudan (Buddhist altar) side by side. Festivals and rites often cross boundaries: Shinto matsuri for seasonal celebrations, Buddhist memorial services and funerals for the deceased; some weddings incorporate Shinto ceremony, others follow civil or interfaith arrangements.

Contemporary context: The Meiji era’s policy of shinbutsu bunri sought to separate Shinto and Buddhism, yet many people today continue to observe both streams in daily life or through family lineage. The label ShintoBuddhist is typically used by scholars or cultural observers to describe syncretic practices rather than a single denomination with a centralized doctrine.