ABSTRACT
Shinto is the state religion of Japan. It is based upon the worship of Nature, often personified in a number of deities. The central deity is Kami, the life force. Frequently identified with the nationalistic aspiration of pre-World War II Japan, it was not popular in the United States but did find its way to Hawaii which had the largest Japanese population. During World War II most of the Shinto shrines in America were confiscated and all but one destroyed. The older Shinto groups survived in Hawaii and reformed after the war. Very little has been written about the variations in Shinto organization and practice.
