The per capita income for the village was $18,389. About 5.5% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.
Shinto plays a ceremonial role in daily Japanese life as opposed to an important role. Why is the ceremonial assumed to be unimportant? Others might say that ritual and tradition are the heart of a culture, and the fact that even being a Christian can't dissuade your coworker from shrine worship is clear evidence of the importance of Shinto to Japanese culture.
Most festivals and celebrations in Japan have ancient roots in religion and tradition, but one has a modern twist. Rituals performed at Japanese festivals mark significant rites of passage in an individual's life, honor ancestors, summon good spirits and ward off bad luck. A handful of festivals and celebrations are the most significant in Japanese culture.