Tokyo in the snow and the calming influence of Shintoism: A lament!
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Snow rarely falls in central Tokyo to any great degree. Hence, while children delight in this rare occasion, the childhood spirit also awakens in many adults. Therefore, with snowflakes in the air and the religious angle of Shintoism in view, the “child within” and “the inner soul” views things differently with the death knell of childhood innocence.
In some nations, apostates to other faiths are killed or put in prison in modern times. Yazidis also remain enslaved by Islamic State (ISIS) while one-party states enforce their “collective power concentration” policies on society. In the opposite direction, gender identity wars and even who can go to the right bathroom is now a topic of debate. Therefore, the madness of humanity fails to leave the silent majority of all nations alone.
Hence, the natural angle of Shintoism – irrespective of whether a person follows the Shinto faith or not – and the potency of special trees is a delightful continuity. In other words, long after “the current generation of madness” subsides, the beauty of nature will continue – even if cut down by modernity and the calamity of environmental degradation in major cities.
Thus with each snowflake, the misery of this world gently subsided for a moment. A childhood exuberance returned to replenish hope once more. Therefore, the Shinto shrine where nature, faith, mystery, and spirits fuse – some solace still exists in this “maddening” world.
The BBC said, concerning Kami, that “Kami are not inherently different in kind from human beings or nature – they are just a higher manifestation of the life energy… an extraordinary or awesome version. Kami don’t exist in a supernatural universe – they live in the same world as human beings and the world of nature.”
Overall, the flurry of snow in Tokyo ushered in the spiritual power of nature and reconnected my inner soul to childhood memories. Only the hoot of an owl was missing!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/beliefs/kami_1.shtml
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