Shinto is one of the two major religions of Japan, with adherents numbering between 40 and 85 percent of a population of 124 million. The disparity in numbers arises from two sources. Many Japanese adhere to both Shinto and Buddhism; and statistical studies are unable to identify clearly what is meant by "adherent" or "member." Shinto has often been defined as "the way of life of the Japanese people," and many of its ideas and practices (such as social hierarchies, feelings of cultural unity, the importance of the family, and ideas about pollution) persist as nonreligious elements of Japanese culture.
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