What was the Japanese equivalent of a druid, if there was any?

by [deleted]
bettinafairchild

By Druid, do you mean member of an ancient indigenous religion? If so, then you're talking about Shinto, which means "Way of the gods". It still exists today and most Japanese people follow Shinto rituals to at least some extent. Leaders of it are priests, and they co-exist with Buddhist religious leaders, and in fact people can be both Shinto and Buddhist. Shinto is an animistic religion in which it is believed gods and spirits inhabit the natural environment--rocks, trees, rivers, the sun. The Japanese imperial family is a descendant of the sun goddess. There are Shinto Shrines throughout Japan, where people go to worship and pray. Is that the information you're looking for?