Motoori Norinaga

(born June 21, 1730, Matsuzaka, Japan—died Nov. 5, 1801, Matsuzaka) Japanese Shintō scholar.

Trained as a physician, he came under the influence of the Kokugaku movement, which stressed the importance of Japan's literary heritage. The critical methods he used in his commentaries on Japanese classics provided the theoretical foundation of the modern Shintō revival. Rejecting Buddhist and Confucian interpretations, he traced the genuine spirit of Shintō to Japanese myths and sacred traditions. He reaffirmed the ancient Japanese concept of musubi (the mysterious power of all creation and growth), which has become one of the main tenets of modern Shintō.