shintô is frequently declared to be: "The indigenous spirituality of Japan and the people of Japan, and the main channel through which many of the earliest religious forms of the Japanese people were handed down and preserved."

Well... not exactly. There are a number of problems with that statement.

The first of which is that the word shintô, as it is used today, is a relatively modern development, and was certainly not what most of the older practices that preceeded were called, if they were named at all.

The term shintô has been used to co-opt all these different sets of practices in an effort to tie them together into a national cultural identity of being Japanese.

"Indigenous" rather misses the mark as, in reality, what is called shintô is a complex weave of ancient practices; local customs; indigenous folk religions; both indigenous and foreign folk magic; unoffical expressions of organized religions by lay people; and foreign Buddhist, Esoteric Buddhist, Religious Daoist, Hindu, Confucian, and Neo-Confucian practices and ideas.

"Spirituality" is not the best way to describe practices that are for the most part cultural and secular. People engage in these practices more because it's part of their cultural identity than from any sense of spirituality or religion. Frequently these practices are for a "this world" benefit.

Many practitioners have little or no understanding of the theology or philosophy behind their practices, and most aren't concerned about their lack.

"Main channel" implies that there is a single version, when in fact there are many different, sometimes competing, sets of practices that are both location and time specific. Down through history, shrines especially have adapted their rituals, mythologies, and functions to changing circumstances.

There are a number of versions of shintô, in various sects and shrines, that are the essentially the creations of an individual and later their followers.

"Handed down and preserved" suggests an old, unbroken tradition, however the meaning and practices of "shintô" have been redefined many times in it's history. Yes, it contains many old practices, but frequently the meanings assigned to those practices have been changed — most often to further the political ambitions of those making the changes.

All of which isn't to say, "There's no such thing as shintô; it's pretty much a modern invention — re-imagined after the second World War." Modern shintô does exist, not as advertised, but as constantly changing and evolving sets of cultural practices that re-engage people with their families, their communities, and the kami.