These groups have some issues with reliability, toxicity, abuse etc. Some, especially Yamakage Shinto, will present themselves as mainstream sources of information.This list is not to tell you you should never read anything from these groups, but to raise some concerns and indicate that you should take their information with a grain of salt.
Owned by a TERF, formerly by a homophobic racist who likely is a white nationalist. Lots of pagans.
Posts lolicon (i.e. pedophilic) art and over-exaggerates the more "other", darker and scarier folk traditions.
Asks for people's birth genders in an all-age Discord server.
Run by someone who has a history of racism and classism.
Koshinto New Religious Movement with made-up prayers, formerly led by extremely antisemitic Motohisa Yamakage.
A current member claims that (at least a specific) prayer won’t work unless you’re a member, and its historical source was conveniently lost.
A Koshinto priest commented on how Yamakage Shinto copied and renamed an Imperial rite.
Weirdly named facilities
Less financially exploitative than other organizations, but you still have to pay a fee to be a member (standard shrines only require fees from suukeikai members, and anyone can worship or visit festivals and partake).
Just look up “ex SGI member” posts.
Aggressive recruiters.
From my personal experience: My mother and I were recruited separately. A USA yoga class was a cover operation for recruitment and when I asked what school of Buddhism they were, they told me SGI. I indicated I knew about it, I was blocked. I am fairly certain the stranger who tried to recruit me in Tokyo was from SGI as well.
Far-right supporter of the Nihon Kaigi, and involved in multiple scandals (mostly of a drug or monetary nature).
Ishihara Shintaro, ultranationalist xenophobe, was a member. They named a building after him.
Home to much toxic positivity and cults of personality. Overly represented in Western Shinto in comparison to other types of Shinto (Discord, Reddit, Tumblr, etc.). Notice that most, if not all, of these other groups will be unfamiliar.
Puts down other religions, refused to solve monetary issues with a member, fearmongering/harassment. The toxic positivity leads to an inability to deal with some more nitty-gritty, realistic situations (as a named Kyokai leader attests). Blind nationalism and obedience to country is commanded of its followers in scripture.
Many Jodo Shinshu monks have spoken out against it.
Disguises itself as other organizations in order to recruit.
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Successors to Aum Shinrikyo, perpetrators of the Tokyo Subway Sarin Gas Attack, which is the largest terrorist attack in Japan.
Harsh treatment of critics, even from within.
Koshikidake Shokai has a Korean mu bell likely stolen from Korea, and announced he would use it during a Shugendo ritual. Needless to say, this is violent theft that builds on and continues Japanese imperialist actions.