Japanese Religion

“What’s your religion? What religion do Japanese people believe?”

　That is the question I was asked many times. However, I could not answer this clearly. Actually, I hesitated to answer it, because I am not religious. I mean, I am not aware of religion in daily life. If you ask the Japanese what their religion is, you might get the answer that says many Japanese people do not belong to any religions. You probably get a strange feeling. That is why I am going to tell you Japanese religion, but it is difficult to explain overall Japanese religion. So, I divided it into three point. They are Shinto, the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism, and current situation in Japan. 

“SHINTO”

　First of all. I would like to talk about Shinto. Shinto is a traditional Japanese religion which began to take form in Japan’s pre-historic period before the sixth century. Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the Bible. 


Anyway...

Can you guess how many gods exist in Shinto?

1? or 2?.... NO

　It is said 8 MILLION! Shinto is what is called a polytheistic religion. In the Shinto religion, nature (mountains, rivers, trees, and so on) and even the dead are believed to have spiritual power.  

For example, this rock and the tree are worshiped as sacred things.

Also, shrines might spring to your mind when you hear “Japan”. Shinto shrines are the places of worship and the homes of gods. Most shrines regularly celebrate festivals in order to show gods the outside world or thank gods. People visit shrines in order to pay respect to gods or pray for good fortune. They also visit there during special events such as New Year, setsubun, shichigosan and other festivals. Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions.

*Setsubun (節分) means the day before the first day of each season. Especially, on Feb. 3rd,  people throw beans to expel evil spirits and bring in good luck.
*Shichigosan (七五三) means three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys are celebrated around November 15, and it is prayed for their good health and growth.

“SHINTO and BUDDHISM”

Next, I would like to talk about the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, whereas Buddhism was imported from the China in the 6th century. Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other. As mentioned above, Shinto is a polytheistic religion. Plus, Shinto is the spirituality of this world and this life, while Buddhism is concerned with the soul and the afterlife. This explains why the two religions exist so successfully together without contradiction in Japan.

“CURRENT SITUATION”

Finally, I would like to talk about current situation in Japan. Religion does not play a big role in the everyday life of Japanese people today, especially young people. However, The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals, and many people may visit a shrine or temple on New Year or events and participates at local festivals. There are some other religion’s events such as Christmas, Halloween, Valentine and so on. Those events in Japan is a little different from events in western countries. For instance, as you already know, traditional faiths such as Buddhism and Shinto are practiced in Japan, but people usually enjoy celebrating Christmas regardless of their religion. Also, the number of schools and stores that cerebrate Halloween increase every year recently. (Of course, there are some people who are more strict about religion.) Christmas or other events in Japan are more like festivals and commercial matters for many people rather than  sacred events. 

“CONCLUSION”

In conclusion, Comparing with people from other countries, the Japanese seem not to be religious. Of course, the Japanese believe in Buddhism, Shinto, or Christianity, but it is also true that many people seem not to have deep religious feelings. However, I think the Japanese have their own unique religious feelings. It is not strange that one Japanese prays to Buddha and meanwhile he/she prays to Shinto gods. It is often difficult for Japanese ourselves to say which god they believe in. Most Japanese believe in something religious existence which is, however, difficult to name correctly. Religious customs have become part of our daily life as some annual events in year. That is Japanese religion.

Should you have any questions,

Please NOT ask me. 

Ask Mr. Google. haha

If you find any mistakes in my blog,

Please leave a comment.

Thank you for reading.