A question for all Shinto's?

How do you practice Shinto? Like in Idaho, there are no Shinto Shrines or Temples! So how do you do it? How do you practice the Way of The God's? (That's what Shinto means in Japanese)
Can you just make your own Shrines and worship them? Or do you have to go to the Temples?

Thank you all.

I just watch Aime every night. That seems to do it for me.

Not that I'm Japanese, nor Shinto.

I think it's mostly Japan religion. Try asking this in Japanese on Japanese forums.

For start es you can look for a tori(spell check) gate :P. Also, "Way of the gods" is based around japan. Everyhting about Shintoism is based upon Japan, and mount Fiji or Fuji, cant remember. You can prob go ogle Idaho Shinto. Why dint build your own shrines and temples?

I think Shintoism is more or less of a Cultural thing.

You can make your own shrine. From what I understand, a lot of the families in Japan who are Shinto have their own shrines. Do some go ogle work for ideas on it, and to find on line Shinto websites/forums.

How about making small tor ii at home?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamidana
Temples are for Buddhism, not Shinto.

People who practice Shintoism are Shintoists. There's no such word as "Shintos".

- How do you practice the Way of The God's?

(Note "apostrophe s" is for possession, plural is just "s".)

Shinto has four tenants:

1. Respect for family.

2. Respect for Nature.

3. Cleanliness of body and mind.

4. Celebration of the harmony between man and nature through the Kami. (Matsuri)

Shinto is not a religion where you have to go to church on Sunday to prove you belong. Although it's not required, almost all Shintoists have a Kamidana (literally God Shelf) where an Ofuda is placed as a focus for Norito (Shinto prayers).

A Shinto ritual is like a dinner party (for the boss).

1. Purification. (First you clean the house).

2. Welcoming. (You invite the guest in).

3. Offerings. (You give food and drink to the guest).

4. Norito. (You ask the guest things and have a conversation).

5. Leave taking (You say farewell to the guest).

6. In the home Kamidana, only a small amount of rice and sake are offered but at many major Shinto rituals the offerings are cooked and then eaten by the Shintoists. There isn't anything mystical about the food that has been used for an offering, Shintoists just dislike waste.

The purpose of a Shinto ritual is to remove the contamination that you pick up from negative thoughts and actions and/or contamination from unclean substances. Shintoists believe that you are born clean and pure but pick up "spiritual dirt" along the way. Shinto rituals restore the original pure state.

- Can you just make your own Shrines and worship them?

If you are handy with woodworking tools you can make a Kamidana. If you're not you can purchase one. Once you have it, then you get an Ofuda from the Shrine. The Ofuda is replaced annually. The old one is returned to the Shrine where it's burned in a ritual.

Note on Shrine vs. Temple. In English, Shrines are Shinto, Temples are Buddhist. Shintoism is not Buddhism, although many Shintoists are also Buddhists.

For more information:

http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/

http://www.isejingu.or.jp/shosai/english/index.htm

http://www.tsubakishrine.org/