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Japan has two dominant religious traditions: Shinto (神道) is the ancient animist
religion of traditional Japan. At just over twelve hundred years in Japan,
Buddhism is the more recent imported faith. Christianity, introduced by European
missionaries, was widely persecuted during the feudal era but is now accepted,
and a small percentage of Japanese are Christian.
Generally speaking, the Japanese are not a particularly religious people. While
they regularly visit shrines and temples to offer coins and make silent prayers,
religious faith and doctrine play a small role (if any) in the life of the average
Japanese. Thus it would be impossible to try to represent what percentage of the
population is Shinto versus Buddhist, or even Christian. According to a famous
poll, Japan is 80% Shinto and 80% Buddhist, and another oft-quoted dictum
states that Japanese are Shinto when they live, as weddings and festivals are
typically Shinto, but Buddhist when they die, since funerals usually use Buddhist
rites. Most Japanese accept a little bit of every religion.
At the same time, Shinto and Buddhism have had an enormous influence on the
country's history and cultural life. The Shinto religion focuses on the spirit of the
land, and is reflected in the country's exquisite gardens and peaceful shrines
deep in ancient forests. When you visit a shrine (jinja 神社) with its simple torii (鳥
居) gate, you are seeing Shinto customs and styles. If you see an empty plot of
land with some white paper suspended in a square, that's a Shinto ceremony to
dedicate the land for a new building. Buddhism in Japan has branched out in
numerous directions over the centuries. Nichiren (日蓮) is currently the largest
branch of Buddhist belief, and many westerners are introduced to Japanese
Buddhism through Soka Gakkai (sōkagakkai 創価学会), a Nichiren sect that is
somewhat controversial for its evangelical zeal and its involvement in Japanese
politics. Westerners are probably most familiar with Zen (禅) Buddhism, which was
introduced to Japan in the 14th and 15th centuries. Zen fit the aesthetic and
moral sensibilities of medieval Japan, influencing arts such as flower-arranging
(ikebana 生け花), tea ceremony (sadō 茶道), ceramics, painting, calligraphy,
poetry, and the martial arts. Over the years, Shinto and Buddhism have
intertwined considerably. You will find them side by side in cities, towns, and
people's lives. It's not at all unusual to find a sparse Shinto torii standing before
an elaborate Buddhist o-tera (temple お寺).
religion of traditional Japan. At just over twelve hundred years in Japan,
Buddhism is the more recent imported faith. Christianity, introduced by European
missionaries, was widely persecuted during the feudal era but is now accepted,
and a small percentage of Japanese are Christian.
Generally speaking, the Japanese are not a particularly religious people. While
they regularly visit shrines and temples to offer coins and make silent prayers,
religious faith and doctrine play a small role (if any) in the life of the average
Japanese. Thus it would be impossible to try to represent what percentage of the
population is Shinto versus Buddhist, or even Christian. According to a famous
poll, Japan is 80% Shinto and 80% Buddhist, and another oft-quoted dictum
states that Japanese are Shinto when they live, as weddings and festivals are
typically Shinto, but Buddhist when they die, since funerals usually use Buddhist
rites. Most Japanese accept a little bit of every religion.
At the same time, Shinto and Buddhism have had an enormous influence on the
country's history and cultural life. The Shinto religion focuses on the spirit of the
land, and is reflected in the country's exquisite gardens and peaceful shrines
deep in ancient forests. When you visit a shrine (jinja 神社) with its simple torii (鳥
居) gate, you are seeing Shinto customs and styles. If you see an empty plot of
land with some white paper suspended in a square, that's a Shinto ceremony to
dedicate the land for a new building. Buddhism in Japan has branched out in
numerous directions over the centuries. Nichiren (日蓮) is currently the largest
branch of Buddhist belief, and many westerners are introduced to Japanese
Buddhism through Soka Gakkai (sōkagakkai 創価学会), a Nichiren sect that is
somewhat controversial for its evangelical zeal and its involvement in Japanese
politics. Westerners are probably most familiar with Zen (禅) Buddhism, which was
introduced to Japan in the 14th and 15th centuries. Zen fit the aesthetic and
moral sensibilities of medieval Japan, influencing arts such as flower-arranging
(ikebana 生け花), tea ceremony (sadō 茶道), ceramics, painting, calligraphy,
poetry, and the martial arts. Over the years, Shinto and Buddhism have
intertwined considerably. You will find them side by side in cities, towns, and
people's lives. It's not at all unusual to find a sparse Shinto torii standing before
an elaborate Buddhist o-tera (temple お寺).