How has Shintoism influenced modern Japan?

Answer 1

Shintoism influences modern Japanese people in daily activities and in beliefs. This is sometimes hard to believe, coming from a country that is mostly atheist. (Remember, Japanese are supposed to register to local shrines, but it does not mean they practice!)

One example is the celebration of local deity festivals, or Matsuri. The majority of Japanese (especially those with children) attend local festivals for the same reasons an American might attend a county fair or carnival. The difference in Matsuri, is the "guest of honor" is a god that resides in the towns local shrine, and is brought to the festival via mikoshi, or portable shrine. Faithful and the populous majority of non-faithful end their night at the Matsuri donating money to the local shrine, and praying to its god for various things (good fortune, good grades, etc). Almost always when confronted, the unfaithful will justify their donation and prayer as something that has to be done. This comes from the superstitious root of Japanese society, thanks to none other than Shinto.
Japanese people are sometimes, and often time excessively superstitious. Many carry all sorts of good luck charms and other blessed items obtained from local shrines with them daily. Even with their lack of religious faith, many of them still go to shrines and leave their prayers on small wooden boards called Ema, as well as ask priests or priestesses to preform duties, such as weddings, exorcisms, blessings, etc. Japan is one of the few first world countries that widely accepts ghost and the supernatural, all stemming from its folk religion Shinto. (In my personal experience, in school, career, etc, Japan has been the only country that when speaking about a "ghost," everyone I had spoken to about it showed concern, and offered solutions of exorcism to dispel the evil, unlike other 1st world countries today that its residents would look at you as if you were crazy).
Shintoism also effects the Japanese way of life. For example, a very important aspect of the religion is to be clean. Cleanliness is really important!!! (This is why Buddhism came in, so they could deal with funerals...death is too dirty for Shinto!). Today, you might find local fast food restaurants like McDonald's, having specially designed food wrappers to keep the consumers hands from even touching the burger. A downside to this Shinto based need of cleanliness is the unfortunate segregation of Japanese within Japanese society, like the unfortunate burakumin.

Shinto is very much alive today in Japan, whether it be daily prayers they make to gods on their kamidana, carrying a good luck charm with them to school, or Shinto beasts making appearances in daily media (like the Kappa, or "Koopa" found in Mario Bros). It is safe to say Japan has a very deep underlining of Shintoism rooted within its society that can be witnessed and experienced today.