Traces of the Kojiki’s ancient tapestry still ripple through modern Shinto life. At the heart of Shinto rituals lies a cast of deities first gathered in its pages—Amaterasu, Susanoo, Ninigi—and their stories set the stage for ceremonies, festivals and the very architecture of shrines.

Kagura dances, for example, are direct descendants of the divine performances recounted when Amaterasu hid in the Heavenly Rock Cave. Today’s shrine performers, clad in vibrant robes and wielding bells, breathe new life into that cosmic drama. When a Mikoshi portable shrine parades through town, it’s not merely a festive romp: it’s a living enactment of the gods’ descent to earth, an idea rooted squarely in Kojiki lore.

Emperor Naruhito’s 2019 enthronement ceremony leaned heavily on Kojiki symbolism, invoking Amaterasu as Japan’s mythic ancestor to legitimize the modern throne. That blend of ancient text and 21st-century pomp shows how Kojiki still holds court at the highest levels.

Local festivals—matsuri—often revitalize landscape-based myths from the Kojiki, tying rice planting rites or river-blessing ceremonies back to Izanagi and Izanami’s creation of the islands. Shrines by the seaside or atop volcanic peaks point pilgrims toward mythic geography, turning nature worship into a hands-on, soul-soothing pilgrimage.

With eco-consciousness rear­ing its head, some Shinto groups quote passages about kami dwelling in every rock and tree to bolster environmental activism. Digital shrine apps now guide visitors through purification rituals, quoting Kojiki prayers at the drop of a hat. Even pop culture nods—manga and anime have woven Kojiki deities into storylines—keep those myths fresh for younger generations.

Every ritual, from the morning’s hand-washing at a shrine’s temizuya basin to the grand processions of autumn harvest festivals, carries a thread spun millennia ago. Modern Shinto practices might don contemporary colors, but their warp and weft remain firmly anchored in the Kojiki’s timeless weave.