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tani's review
3.0
Quite dry, and not quite what I was looking for, but not bad. A good glimpse at Shinto.
kaaleppii's review
4.0
Insightful
I found this to be a handy little book which provided for me a good launch point into the practices and beliefs of Shinto. It does not delve deeply into any particular topic but is rather a surface-level primer, and it does that well. There are good sketch illustrations and photos throughout and I found it to read quickly and easily. I would recommend this as an intro to Shinto.
I found this to be a handy little book which provided for me a good launch point into the practices and beliefs of Shinto. It does not delve deeply into any particular topic but is rather a surface-level primer, and it does that well. There are good sketch illustrations and photos throughout and I found it to read quickly and easily. I would recommend this as an intro to Shinto.
fractaltexan's review
4.0
A wonderful, short book that details the Shinto Faith, from Temples to the Kami way. A great, informative read.
michaildimdrakomathioulakis's review
5.0
Greek text follows the English one/ Ἑλληνικὸ κείμενο ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ Ἀγγλικὸ
This book serves as a great introduction to Shintō [神道, also known in English as Shintoism], the traditional and indigenous faith of the Japanese people. The Japanese word Shintō [神道] can be translated as the Way [道 / dō] of the Gods [神 / kami, also pronounced as shin].
The book outlines the basic Shintō mythology and its sources, and it roughly presents the concept of kami [神, "gods" or "deities" or "spirits" or deified natural phaenomena]; it provides useful information on the Shintō shrines, including their organisation, architecture, and priesthood; it briefly presents the elements of worship at home and in public, as well as the various festivals; it emphasises the spiritual characteristics of this faith, and its role in the social and political life of Japan since the dawn of the Japanese history.
Written by Dr. Professor Sokyo Ono, a Japanese expert Shintō academic, and initially published back in 1960 as a bulletin of the International Institute for the Study of Religions, Tōkyō, the text was first published as a book in 1962 with the collaboration of Willian P. Woodard, Director of Research for the Institute, who also served as an editor. It must be noted here that the original Japanese manuscript was first translated into English by Chido Takeda, a member of the staff of the Institute, then checked and edited, and then re-translated back in Japanese by other staff members, for final editing.
The text is beautifully accompanied by a plethora of sketches and drawings by Sadao Sakamoto, a Shintō priest, as well as by fifteen (15) black and white photographs (called "plates", showing the age of the text). That's perhaps the only downside of the present edition by Tuttle, a well-known publishing house for the quality of its books, that bridge the gap between East and West; on one hand the black and white photographs preserve the originality of the text, on the other hand a modern edition could have been enriched with more photos, including colour ones.
Nevertheless, this is a very good edition, and an excellent reference work both for people who want a basic introduction to Shintō, as well as for students, scholars and academics studying the Shintō faith, as long as they keep in mind that this is just an introductory book.
Tὸ βιβλἰο αὐτὸ λειτουργεῖ ὡς μιὰ ἐξαιρετικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο [神道 / Shintō, ὀρθότερη γραφὴ στὰ Ἑλληνικὰ Σίντω, γνωστὸ κιαὶ ὡς Σιντοϊσμὸς], τὴν παραδοσιακὴ κιαὶ αὐτὀχθονη πίστι τοῦ Ἰαπωνικοῦ λαοῦ. Ἡ Ἰαπωνικὴ λέξι Σίντο [神道 / Shintō] μπορεῖ νὰ μεταφραστῇ ὡς ἡ Ὁδὸς ἢ ὁ Τρόπος [道 / ντῶ / dō] τῶν Θεῶν [神 / κάμι / kami, ἰδεόγραμμα ἐπίσης προφερόμενο ὡς σὶν / shin].
Tὸ βιβλἰο περιγράφει τὴ βασικὴ μυθολογἰα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ κιαὶ τὶς πηγὲς τῆς, ἐνῶ παρουσιάζει ἀδρὰ τὴν ἔννοια τῶν κάμι [神 / kami, «θεοὶ» ἢ «θεότητες» ἢ «πνεύματα» ἢ θεοποιημένα φυσικὰ φαινόμενα]· παρέχει χρήσιμες πληροφορίες γιὰ τὰ ἱεροφυλάκια (γνωστὰ στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ὡς shrines) τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, συμπεριλαμβανομένων τῆς ὀργάνωσῆς, τῆς ἀρχιτεκτονικῆς, κιαὶ τοῦ ἱερατείου τῶν· παρουσιάζει συνοπτικὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς λατρείας στὸ σπίτι κιαὶ δημόσια, καθὼς κιαὶ τὶς διάφορες γιορτές· δίνει ἔμφασι στὰ πνευματικὰ χαρακτηριστικὰ αὐτῆς τῆς πίστης, ἀλλὰ κιαὶ στὸν ῥόλο τῆς στὴν κοινωνικὴ κιαὶ πολιτικὴ ζωὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνίας ἀπ᾽ τὴν αὐγὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνικῆς ἱστορίας.
Γραμμένο ἀπὸ τον Δρ. Καθηγητὴ Σόκυο Ὄνο (Sokyo Ono), ἕναν Ἰάπωνα πανεπιστημιακὸ εἰδικὸ στὸ Σίντο, κιαὶ δημοσιευμένο ἀρχικὰ στὸ μακρινὸ 1960 ὡς ἐνημερωτικὸ δελτίο τοῦ Διεθνοῦς Ἰνστιτούτου γιὰ τὴ Μελέτη τῶν Θρησκειῶν, στὸ Τόκυο, τὸ κείμενο πρωτοδημοσιεύθηκε ὡς βιβλίο τὸ 1962 μὲ τὴ συνεργασία κὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῦ Γουΐλλιαμ Π. Γούνταρντ, Διευθυντὴ Ἔρευνας τοῦ Ἰνστιτούτου. Πρέπει ἐδὼ νὰ σημειωθῇ ὅτι τὸ αὐθεντικὸ Ἰαπωνικὸ χειρόγραφο πρωτομεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ἀπὸ τὸν Τσίντο Τακέντα (Chido Takeda), μέλος τοῦ προσωπικοῦ τοῦ Ἰντιτούτου, μετὰ ἔγινε ἔλεγχος κὶ ἐπιμέλεια, κιαὶ μετὰ ἐπαναμεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἰαπωνικὴ ἀπὸ ἄλλα μέλη τοῦ προσωπικοῦ, γιὰ τὴν τελικὴ ἐπιμέλεια.
Τὸ κείμενο συνοδεύεται ὄμορφα ἀπὸ μιὰ πληθώρα σχεδίων κιαὶ ζωγραφιῶν τοῦ Σαντάο Σακαμότο, ἱερέα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, καθὼς κὶ ἀπὸ δεκαπέντε (15) ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες (ποὺ ὀνομάζονται «plates» / «πλάκες», φανερώνοντας τὴν ἠλικία τοῦ κειμένου). Αὐτὸ εῖναι ἴσως τὸ μόνο ἐλάττωμα τῆς παρούσας ἔκδοσης ἀπὸ τὶς ἐκδόσεις Tuttle, ἕναν ἐκδοτικὸ οἶκο εὐρέως γνωστὸ γιὰ τὴν ποιότητα τῶν βιβλίων τοῦ, ποὺ γεφυρώνουν τὸ χάσμα μεταξὺ Ἀνατολῆς κιαὶ Δύσης· ἀπ᾽τὴν μιὰ οἱ ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες διατηροῦν τὴν αὐθεντικὀτητα τοῦ κειμένου, ἀπ᾽τὴν ἄλλη μία σύγχρονη ἔκδοσι θὰ μποροῦσε νἄχῃ ἐμπλουτισθεῖ μὲ περισσότερες φωτογραφίες, συμπεριλαμβανομένων ἔγχρωμων.
Σὲ κάθε περίπτωσι, εἶναι μιὰ πολύ καλὴ ἔκδοσι κὶ ἕνα ἐξαιρετικὸ ἔργο ἀναφορᾶς, τόσο γιὰ ὅσους θέλουν μιὰ βασικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο, ὅσο κιαὶ γιὰ φοιτητές, λογίους κιαὶ πανεπιστημιακοὺς ποὺ μελετοῦν τὴν πίστι τοῦ Σιντοϊσρμοῦ, ἐφόσον λάβουν ὑπόψιν ὅτι εἶναι ἀπλὼς ἕνα εἰσαγωγικὸ βιβλίο.
This book serves as a great introduction to Shintō [神道, also known in English as Shintoism], the traditional and indigenous faith of the Japanese people. The Japanese word Shintō [神道] can be translated as the Way [道 / dō] of the Gods [神 / kami, also pronounced as shin].
The book outlines the basic Shintō mythology and its sources, and it roughly presents the concept of kami [神, "gods" or "deities" or "spirits" or deified natural phaenomena]; it provides useful information on the Shintō shrines, including their organisation, architecture, and priesthood; it briefly presents the elements of worship at home and in public, as well as the various festivals; it emphasises the spiritual characteristics of this faith, and its role in the social and political life of Japan since the dawn of the Japanese history.
Written by Dr. Professor Sokyo Ono, a Japanese expert Shintō academic, and initially published back in 1960 as a bulletin of the International Institute for the Study of Religions, Tōkyō, the text was first published as a book in 1962 with the collaboration of Willian P. Woodard, Director of Research for the Institute, who also served as an editor. It must be noted here that the original Japanese manuscript was first translated into English by Chido Takeda, a member of the staff of the Institute, then checked and edited, and then re-translated back in Japanese by other staff members, for final editing.
The text is beautifully accompanied by a plethora of sketches and drawings by Sadao Sakamoto, a Shintō priest, as well as by fifteen (15) black and white photographs (called "plates", showing the age of the text). That's perhaps the only downside of the present edition by Tuttle, a well-known publishing house for the quality of its books, that bridge the gap between East and West; on one hand the black and white photographs preserve the originality of the text, on the other hand a modern edition could have been enriched with more photos, including colour ones.
Nevertheless, this is a very good edition, and an excellent reference work both for people who want a basic introduction to Shintō, as well as for students, scholars and academics studying the Shintō faith, as long as they keep in mind that this is just an introductory book.
Tὸ βιβλἰο αὐτὸ λειτουργεῖ ὡς μιὰ ἐξαιρετικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο [神道 / Shintō, ὀρθότερη γραφὴ στὰ Ἑλληνικὰ Σίντω, γνωστὸ κιαὶ ὡς Σιντοϊσμὸς], τὴν παραδοσιακὴ κιαὶ αὐτὀχθονη πίστι τοῦ Ἰαπωνικοῦ λαοῦ. Ἡ Ἰαπωνικὴ λέξι Σίντο [神道 / Shintō] μπορεῖ νὰ μεταφραστῇ ὡς ἡ Ὁδὸς ἢ ὁ Τρόπος [道 / ντῶ / dō] τῶν Θεῶν [神 / κάμι / kami, ἰδεόγραμμα ἐπίσης προφερόμενο ὡς σὶν / shin].
Tὸ βιβλἰο περιγράφει τὴ βασικὴ μυθολογἰα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ κιαὶ τὶς πηγὲς τῆς, ἐνῶ παρουσιάζει ἀδρὰ τὴν ἔννοια τῶν κάμι [神 / kami, «θεοὶ» ἢ «θεότητες» ἢ «πνεύματα» ἢ θεοποιημένα φυσικὰ φαινόμενα]· παρέχει χρήσιμες πληροφορίες γιὰ τὰ ἱεροφυλάκια (γνωστὰ στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ὡς shrines) τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, συμπεριλαμβανομένων τῆς ὀργάνωσῆς, τῆς ἀρχιτεκτονικῆς, κιαὶ τοῦ ἱερατείου τῶν· παρουσιάζει συνοπτικὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς λατρείας στὸ σπίτι κιαὶ δημόσια, καθὼς κιαὶ τὶς διάφορες γιορτές· δίνει ἔμφασι στὰ πνευματικὰ χαρακτηριστικὰ αὐτῆς τῆς πίστης, ἀλλὰ κιαὶ στὸν ῥόλο τῆς στὴν κοινωνικὴ κιαὶ πολιτικὴ ζωὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνίας ἀπ᾽ τὴν αὐγὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνικῆς ἱστορίας.
Γραμμένο ἀπὸ τον Δρ. Καθηγητὴ Σόκυο Ὄνο (Sokyo Ono), ἕναν Ἰάπωνα πανεπιστημιακὸ εἰδικὸ στὸ Σίντο, κιαὶ δημοσιευμένο ἀρχικὰ στὸ μακρινὸ 1960 ὡς ἐνημερωτικὸ δελτίο τοῦ Διεθνοῦς Ἰνστιτούτου γιὰ τὴ Μελέτη τῶν Θρησκειῶν, στὸ Τόκυο, τὸ κείμενο πρωτοδημοσιεύθηκε ὡς βιβλίο τὸ 1962 μὲ τὴ συνεργασία κὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῦ Γουΐλλιαμ Π. Γούνταρντ, Διευθυντὴ Ἔρευνας τοῦ Ἰνστιτούτου. Πρέπει ἐδὼ νὰ σημειωθῇ ὅτι τὸ αὐθεντικὸ Ἰαπωνικὸ χειρόγραφο πρωτομεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ἀπὸ τὸν Τσίντο Τακέντα (Chido Takeda), μέλος τοῦ προσωπικοῦ τοῦ Ἰντιτούτου, μετὰ ἔγινε ἔλεγχος κὶ ἐπιμέλεια, κιαὶ μετὰ ἐπαναμεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἰαπωνικὴ ἀπὸ ἄλλα μέλη τοῦ προσωπικοῦ, γιὰ τὴν τελικὴ ἐπιμέλεια.
Τὸ κείμενο συνοδεύεται ὄμορφα ἀπὸ μιὰ πληθώρα σχεδίων κιαὶ ζωγραφιῶν τοῦ Σαντάο Σακαμότο, ἱερέα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, καθὼς κὶ ἀπὸ δεκαπέντε (15) ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες (ποὺ ὀνομάζονται «plates» / «πλάκες», φανερώνοντας τὴν ἠλικία τοῦ κειμένου). Αὐτὸ εῖναι ἴσως τὸ μόνο ἐλάττωμα τῆς παρούσας ἔκδοσης ἀπὸ τὶς ἐκδόσεις Tuttle, ἕναν ἐκδοτικὸ οἶκο εὐρέως γνωστὸ γιὰ τὴν ποιότητα τῶν βιβλίων τοῦ, ποὺ γεφυρώνουν τὸ χάσμα μεταξὺ Ἀνατολῆς κιαὶ Δύσης· ἀπ᾽τὴν μιὰ οἱ ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες διατηροῦν τὴν αὐθεντικὀτητα τοῦ κειμένου, ἀπ᾽τὴν ἄλλη μία σύγχρονη ἔκδοσι θὰ μποροῦσε νἄχῃ ἐμπλουτισθεῖ μὲ περισσότερες φωτογραφίες, συμπεριλαμβανομένων ἔγχρωμων.
Σὲ κάθε περίπτωσι, εἶναι μιὰ πολύ καλὴ ἔκδοσι κὶ ἕνα ἐξαιρετικὸ ἔργο ἀναφορᾶς, τόσο γιὰ ὅσους θέλουν μιὰ βασικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο, ὅσο κιαὶ γιὰ φοιτητές, λογίους κιαὶ πανεπιστημιακοὺς ποὺ μελετοῦν τὴν πίστι τοῦ Σιντοϊσρμοῦ, ἐφόσον λάβουν ὑπόψιν ὅτι εἶναι ἀπλὼς ἕνα εἰσαγωγικὸ βιβλίο.
shoggoth_roof's review against another edition
3.0
El libro ofrece exactamente lo que promete: una introducción al sintoísmo, además escrita de forma amena. La obra se divide en cinco partes: el camino de los kami, los santuarios, culto y festivales, características políticas y sociales y características espirituales. Continuamente se hacen referencias a obras clásicas como el Kojiki o el Nihon Shoki donde se recogen las prácticas de esta antigua religión japonesa. También nos ofrecen el nombre japonés de varios términos y detalla lugares y personas a los que se veneran, su relación con el budismo, etc. La única pega del libro es que originalmente fue publicado en 1962 y me pregunto cómo han evolucionado algunas cifras ofrecidas en esta obra.
wilhelmina_reads's review
4.0
Probably a little outdated by now but informative regardless. A lot more focus on architecture than I thought there'd be.