Welcome to the International Shinto Studies Association

Shintō may be said to be the main distinctive religious tradition of Japan. It is focused on its many shrines throughout the land which serve their local communities in various ways. The International Shinto Studies Association (ISSA) exists in order to develop factually accurate knowledge about Shintō and to promote awareness of its roles in Japanese society and the wider world. The association is “academic” in the sense that it encourages reliable, well-documented studies of the complex history of Shintō and of its many contemporary facets.