神道作为日本人精神层面特殊性和神秘性的一个重要标志,常常受到西方日本学(Japanology)研究者的特别关注。但从普遍意义上的描述到20世纪之后的现代学术,西方早期日本学中的神道研究经历了一个长期发展的过程。在日欧初识的时代,能够前往日本的西方人还不多,对日本的神道加以关注的主要是西方传教士。自1549年耶稣会传教士沙勿略进入日本传教开始,基督教在日本发展迅速,不少传教士陆续来到日本。传教士们要想 Shinto, as an important symbol of the particularity and mystery of Japanese spirituality, is often given special attention by researchers from Japan and Japan. However, from the description in the general sense to the modern academic after the 20th century, the study of Shintoism in early Western studies of Japan experienced a long-term development. In the early days of Japan and Europe, there were not many Westerners who were able to travel to Japan. The main focus of Japan’s Shintoism was on Western missionaries. Since the missionary mission of Jesuit mission to Japan began in 1549, Christianity developed rapidly in Japan. Many missionaries came to Japan one after another. Missionaries want to think