Similar
to other aspects of Japanese culture there are elements of their
religious beliefs that many would regard as strange and in some
cases sacrilegous!
Shinto
- Translated it means 'the way of the gods'
and is the indigenous religion of Japan. The belief is
that even within everyday inanimate objects resides
a spirit with reasoning and intelligence.
This religion offers little in terms of ethical boundaries
and seems to be more a model of the world than a moral
guideline.
Buddhism
- Imported from China in the 7th century, Buddhism
has integrated itself firmly into the Japanese culture.
The underlying premise of this religion is the belief
in reincarnation, Karma and striving to reach a state
of self-enlightenment (becoming a Buddha).
Unlike other religions, in Buddhism there is no all
mighty God or gods.
What an outsider may
find surprising, or indeed baffling, is that these 2 religions
are interchangeable and the majority of Japanese will state
that they are both Shintoist and Buddhist.
It is often the case that they will marry in a Shinto shrine
and have a funeral in a Buddhist cemetary.
While this may seem strange to other cultures, one could argue
that it is not so different to non-Christians celebrating Christmas
(which the Japanese also do).
While Chrsitianity
is a not a major religion in Japan (about 2% of the population),
churches are spread out well enough for it to not cause
too much trouble for a
Christian on the road.
It would seem however, that the majority of Japanese
Christians take their
faith very seriously.
