Shinto, the Way of the Gods

Shinto: The Way of the Gods is a book by W. G. Aston, first published in 1905. It presents an in-depth study of Shinto, Japan’s indigenous faith, exploring its pantheon of kami (divine spirits), ritual practices like purification, offerings, and festivals, as well as its mythological origins.

Aston, an Anglo-Irish diplomat and pioneering Japanologist, draws on his deep philological training and diplomatic service in East Asia to contextualise Shinto within broader Asian religious traditions, comparing its animistic roots and priestly structures with those of ancient Greece and China.

The work reflects early 20th-century scholarly efforts to document and interpret religious cultures at a time when Japan was undergoing rapid modernization, and remains a foundational, erudite yet accessible exploration of a faith at the heart of Japanese identity.