Why did Japanese people believe in that which could not be seen?

Since ancient times, Japanese people have relied on the blessings of nature.
All aspects of nature are, in themselves, deities which bless and support the daily lives of the Japanese people.

According to Japanese legend, Japan is home to 8 million gods. In other words, there are more gods than one is actually able to count. Vegetation and water, stones and animals, even words all hold their own spirit.

But in the same vein, the Japanese people also view nature as a threat. The islands themselves are located over an undersea volcano, surrounded by ocean, and most of their land is covered by forests and mountains. Earthquakes, typhoons, bushfires, and floods are all just some examples of the natural disasters which plague this nation.

Imagine losing your home in a flood, or villagers lost one by one to infectious diseases and plagues. Among feelings of sadness and helplessness, one cannot help but think, “why?” Why would something like this happen? One may begin to question whether they have done something to bring this on. Though we bear no responsibility for these happenings, we find ourselves placing the blame on something, anything, in order to make sense of it all. Such is the nature of all humans.

To the Japanese people of the time, these natural disasters which couldn’t possibly be caused by humans, and had to have been caused by some unseen forces. The gods of nature were also believed to have human emotions. They had peaceful times and tumultuous times. A god, once angered, would become a beast and wreak havoc on the lives of humans.

So the humans, in order to assuage the anger of these unseen forces, enshrined them. They not only thanked them for the blessings bestowed upon them, but also prayed to them to avoid any future calamity. They continued to live this way in harmony with the spirits and gods that resided within nature.