I have always found Japan’s unique Shinto beliefs fascinating. Japanese people do not seem to have the same kind of devout religious faith as seen in Islam; their activities are often quite secular. For example, the average Japanese person’s religious activities might consist of visiting a shrine at the beginning of the year to pray, buying an omamori (charm) to put in their bag for safety, or perhaps holding a wedding ceremony at a shrine.

These daily Shinto behaviors can also be observed in the aviation field. To a foreigner, this might seem quite novel (or even bizarre), so let me share a few examples.

First, there are aviation shrines. In Kyoto, there is a Flight Shrine (Hiko Jinja); in Osaka, there is the Senshu Aviation Shrine; and within the Japan Aeronautic Association in Tokyo, there is also an Aviation Shrine. Many pilots and aviation industry professionals visit these places to pray for aviation safety. These shrines hold festivals every year.

It is said that many pilots visit to worship and purchase an omamori to place inside their flight bags.

There is also a Haneda Aviation Shrine on the first floor of Haneda Airport’s Terminal 1.

If you have the chance to visit Haneda Airport, be sure not to miss it.

By the way, I once saw a TV program introducing the ANA (All Nippon Airways) Operations Control Center (dispatch office). They actually had a Shinto altar (kamidana) inside the office. Before starting work each day, the staff would pray to the spirits, praying for the safe operation of that day’s flights. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of that on hand.

It is not just airlines; researchers are also very conscious of the spirits. For example, when the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Aeronautical Technology Directorate conducts weather experiments, they travel to the Weather Shrine (Kisho Jinja) to request omikuji (sacred lots).

Before every experiment, they pray for favorable weather and the complete success of the scientific experiment.

Even fighter jets are no exception. Below is a test prototype of the F-2. You can see that they invited Shinto priests to perform a religious ritual on the aircraft as well. I really don’t know what to say about that.

日常化してるけど冷静にかんがえるとわけわかんないなこれ pic.twitter.com/hlOuqHrwAC

— 八重ナギ＠３日目り-３３ａ (@norisio) August 3, 2014

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