I was only able to teach about Shinto successfully after visiting Japan and Tsubaki Grand Shrine in 1979. In the context of state universities, teaching about religion means teaching historically and objectively. The separation of religion and government does not prohibit study but it does forbid practice and evangelism in a classroom paid by taxes so a particular religion cannot be privileged by any form of establishment. When college students begin learning about Japan, they soon discover how important Shinto is. Without an understanding of Shinto there is no way to understand Japanese history, literature, culture and even simpler things like holidays or everyday greetings.
Students are anxious to learn about waterfall misogi and other exotic practices.
But they must first learn about Japanese culture, language and religion in general before they can really appreciate the unusual. It is never simple to study another culture, but Japanese culture in general and Shinto in particular must not be oversimplified. Japanese religion has favored intuition and emotion over discussion and cognition. Aesthetics and religious arts were more important than ethics. Body and spirit are interconnected phenomena, and religion must be embodied.