Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Codex of Faiths · codexoffaiths.com

Shinto: quiz worksheet

A printable worksheet for the classroom: 8 multiple-choice questions on Shinto, with an answer key and explanations on the last page.

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  1. What does “Shinto” mean?

    1. A The way of the kami
    2. B The way of the warrior
    3. C The pure land
    4. D The way of the sun

  2. In which year was the Kojiki, the oldest Japanese chronicle of myths, presented to the court?

    1. A 712
    2. B 1868
    3. C 538
    4. D 794

  3. What do harae rites remove?

    1. A Sin, through repentance
    2. B Impurity (kegare)
    3. C Bad luck sent by the stars
    4. D Demons, through exorcism

  4. How often are the sanctuaries of the Ise Grand Shrine rebuilt?

    1. A Every century
    2. B Every ten years
    3. C Every twenty years
    4. D Every fifty years

  5. What is a torii?

    1. A A portable shrine
    2. B A rope of rice straw
    3. C The gate that marks the entrance to sacred space
    4. D A household altar

  6. Why is it said that in Japan one is “born Shinto and dies Buddhist”?

    1. A Buddhism is the state religion
    2. B Children convert at adulthood
    3. C Shinto forbids funerals
    4. D Births and weddings take place at shrines, funerals at temples

  7. When did State Shinto end?

    1. A In 1889
    2. B In 1868
    3. C In 1912
    4. D In 1945

  8. Who is Amaterasu?

    1. A The goddess of rice
    2. B The sun goddess, ancestor of the imperial line
    3. C The first emperor
    4. D The storm god

Answer key

  1. A · The way of the kami. The kami are the gods and sacred powers of nature, places, ancestors and people.
  2. A · 712. The Nihon Shoki followed in 720.
  3. B · Impurity (kegare). Impurity caused by death, disease or wrongdoing is removed by purification rather than by repentance for sin.
  4. C · Every twenty years. The custom is kept since the 7th century; the latest rebuilding was in 2013.
  5. C · The gate that marks the entrance to sacred space. The straw rope is the shimenawa, the portable shrine a mikoshi, the household altar a kamidana.
  6. D · Births and weddings take place at shrines, funerals at temples. For over a thousand years shrines and temples were often combined.
  7. D · In 1945. The Shinto Directive of 15 December 1945 ended state support for shrines.
  8. B · The sun goddess, ancestor of the imperial line. Her brother Susanoo is the storm god; the first emperor, Jimmu, is counted among her descendants.

From Codex of Faiths, codexoffaiths.com. You may print and copy this worksheet for teaching.