Kannushi (神主, "divine master (of ceremonies)", originally pronounced kamunushi), also called shinshoku (神職, meaning "employee/worker of kami"), is the common term for a member of the clergy at a Shinto shrine (神社, jinja) responsible for maintaining the shrine and leading worship of the kami there.
"religious official") used to exist, but the position was abolished during the removal of Shinto from government oversight during the establishment of the Japanese constitution.
[2] Originally, the kannushi were intermediaries between kami and people and could transmit their will to common humans.
Later the term evolved to being synonymous with shinshoku - a man who works at a shrine and holds religious ceremonies there.
[6] The clothes kannushi wear, such as the jōe, the eboshi and kariginu, do not have any special religious significance, but are simply official garments previously used by the Imperial court.
[6] Shinto clergy are given a rank (階位, kaii) and placed within a hierarchy (職階, shokkai) at their shrine which results in varying levels of relative status, though the relative importance of the shrine they work at has no affect on their status.
The Association of Shinto Shrines has regulations that confer one of five ranks called kaii (階位) on clergy members based on their level of education and passing of exams.
The names of the ranks come from the four virtues of Shinto: purity (浄, jō), light (明, mei), correctness (正, sei), and forthrightness (直, choku).
[8] Onshi (御師, also read oshi) is a low-ranking position at a shrine responsible for leading prayers for visitors, providing lodging and tours for pilgrims, and arranging performances of kagura.