"This dictionary is a comprehensive glossary and reference work with more than a thousand entries on Shinto, ranging from brief definitions of Japanese terms to short essays dealing with aspects of Shinto practice, beliefs, and institutions from early times to the present. Shinto regards itself as the ancient indigenous tradition of Japan, yet it has gone through remarkable transformations, even in the last century. The dictionary explains terms relating to such matters as festivals, shrines, rituals, kami, Shinto-related religious movements, significant events, and key figures in the development of Shinto." "Distinctive features of the book are its clear and concise explanations of Shinto terms, its comprehensive coverage of the dimensions of Shinto, and a religious-studies approach to the subject that deals objectively and empathetically with Shinto ideas and practices."--Jacket.