Shinto continues to be actively practiced and remains deeply interwoven with Japanese society and culture. It is not merely a historical curiosity but a living religious tradition centered on countless shrines spread throughout the country. Major shrines such as Meiji Jingū, Fushimi Inari, and Ise Grand Shrine attract large numbers of visitors, while smaller neighborhood shrines quietly sustain local devotional life. This network of sacred sites forms a spiritual landscape in which the presence of kami is acknowledged in both grand public rituals and modest, everyday acts of reverence.

Participation in Shinto practice often accompanies key moments in life and the turning of the seasons. Many people visit shrines for New Year observances, for children’s rites of passage, and for weddings, as well as for local festivals that mark the rhythm of the year. Shinto rituals are also sought for blessings and purification, whether for new homes, cars, or other beginnings. In this way, Shinto functions less as a rigid system of belief and more as a pattern of embodied practices that sanctify ordinary experience and transitions.

Religious identity in Japan frequently defies simple labels, and this is especially evident in relation to Shinto. Many individuals do not describe themselves as “Shintoists” in a doctrinal sense, yet they participate in Shinto ceremonies alongside Buddhist observances without perceiving any contradiction. Surveys often register this subtlety: a large portion of the population engages in Shinto practices while not necessarily claiming a strong religious identity. Shinto thus operates as both religion and culture, shaping sensibilities, values, and communal bonds even when formal affiliation is understated.

Institutionally, Shinto maintains an organized presence that supports this ongoing vitality. Shrines are commonly affiliated with bodies such as Jinja Honchō, and priests (kannushi) continue to perform regular rites and oversee festivals. Through these structures, traditional forms are preserved while being adapted to contemporary circumstances. The result is a religious tradition that has not retreated into the past but instead remains woven into the fabric of daily life, public ritual, and the shared imagination of the Japanese people.