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Shinto is a combination of ancestor and nature worship via polytheism. It's also sort of like Hinduism in that there is no central dogma to classical Shintoism. There was a central state Shinto church, but I can't remember if that survived or was only around for a while.
Shinto isn't really practiced very much in Japan anymore beyond the occasional temple visit, where you'll likely toss a coin into a box, ring a bell, light a stick of incense and pray to your ancestors / a nature spirit/god. If you ask a Japanese person if they believe in god(s), they'll likely tell you no, but then if you ask them why they go to the temple, they'll tell you that it's just better not to risk it.
There are certainly still some serious practitioners around, but I don't know what else there really is to it. I've seen some really nifty displays at temples where the shrine maidens and the monks/priests are dressed ceremonially and perform intricate rituals, but I couldn't tell you what they meant.
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