Some 7,980 men in loincloths fiercely jostled to touch the "lucky man" during the recently held Konomiya Naked Festival at a ...

Ageuma Shinji, a Shinto ritual, is held at the shrine on May 4 and 5 every year. Horses carrying young riders in traditional warrior attire rush up the steep slope during the festival. It is ...

SHIMOSUWA, Nagano -- A rare Shinto "porridge ritual" to predict the state of society and harvests for the year was held from the night of Jan. 14 to early next morning, coinciding with the ...

It was a bustling place until the ninth century when political turmoil on the continent and discord with Japan cast a shadow on the once-vibrant international trade. The roots of Shinto lie in ...

Large cod were carried in procession and dedicated to a local Shinto shrine in this northern Japan city Feb. 4 in a unique ...

Horses take center stage in the ancient capital's events, such as two May festivals—Aoi Matsuri boasting ... a small shrine built by the mother of Japan's first emperor. Worshippers inscribe ...

Dr Amanda Foreman discusses how Shinto merged with Buddhism in Japan and makes particular reference to the centrality of women within Shinto beliefs. Not only are women able to take practical ...