Religions in Japan 1

Yoshimi Fukui       

 My topic is the influences of different religious traditions in Japan. Throughout history, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, Buddhism and Folk religion have influenced Japanese people’s lives. All of these different religions have introduced many different teachings, practices and rituals. I am interested in examining which religious traditions introduced which teachings, rituals or practices in Japan.

            Although I am a Japanese decent and grew up in Japan, I did not know the reason why I went to the temple for a funeral and shrine for a wedding. I was not asked to think of why I participated in certain religious rituals at certain places. Since I have come to Canada, I have realized that the normal things, which I used to do in Japan, are not normal in Canada. Therefore, I decided to explore my culture and religion. As I endeavor to understand my culture, I will demonstrate the influences of different religious traditions in Japan, which still exist.

            The method that I am going to use is that I will introduce each religious group and its influences to Japanese tradition. The order is 1,Confucianism; 2,Taoism; 3, Shinto; 4, Buddhism; 5, Folk religion.

 Confucianism  

Confucianism was created by Confucius (551-479 BC) in China. He emphasized a return to virtue and an overall social harmony based upon proper relationships among people in terms of their social roles. Two of the most important teaching of hierarchical relationship are father-son and ruler-citizen (the father and ruler should be benevolent, the son and citizen should be obedient (Earhart, 19).

Han Confucianism was brought from Korea to Japan about 404 AD.  Confucian ethical code and political principles were understood and utilized in Japan and it was when Prince Shotoku (572-621) promulgated the famous Seventeen Article Constitution in 604 AD. The main emphasis of the Seven Article Constitution was on the duties of people towards their sovereign and the need for harmony among inferiors and superiors. (Werrn, 7).

Even now, we can see the influences from this teaching in Japanese society. ‘Jouge Kankei’ which means proper relationship between superiors and inferiors is the good example of influence of Confucianism. Japanese people are taught to show high respect to elders, superiors as well as their own parents since they are very young. It seems to me that ‘Jouge Kankei’ has become a culture rather than a religious teaching in contemporary

 Japan. Another influence that came from Confucianism is that the teaching that furnished materials is for social institutions, political organization and the systematization of moral precepts in Japan. For example, early Shinto had not clear conception of loyalty, filial piety or virtues that was very important for Japanese people’s moral life. Therefore, the very names for these were supplied by Confucianism and gave a systematic teaching of morality and supplied the methods of instruction (Anesaki, 7). Before the introduction of Confucianism, there were no rules that could quite organize Japanese society so well.

Taoism  

Although Taoism never existed as a separate religious tradition in Japan, by the eighth century a bureau of divination was patterned on a similar bureau at the Chinese court. In general, the Chinese notions of interpreting work with nature and harmonizing human life with nature came to be linked with the Japanese notions about the Kami, nature, and rituals. For example, the idea of lucky, unlucky and a fortune teller are examples of the influence of Taoism (Earhart, 18). Most of the Japanese people tend to choose the ‘good day’ from the calendar for the wedding. Although no one teaches Japanese people that there is good luck and bad luck in our lives, it is just an unwritten rule that everyone learns and applies. We often use the word ‘Un’ which means luck in English instead of using good luck.  For example, if I win the lottery, people will tell me that I have good ‘Un’. Another example is that many people say encountering a black cat is a symbol of bad luck. A fortune teller is very popular and they seem to be accepted among various age groups of Japanese people. Through my experiences, it seems that the plan reading by a fortune teller is the most popular request.

 Shinto 

            Shinto (the ways of the gods) is the indigenous religion in Japan. It was formed as a result of the outcomes of the lives of people and their temperament, and it was closely connected with national traditions and social institutions. It is thought that all humans are fundamentally good, and that evil spirits causes all evil. The purpose of most of the rituals is to avoid evil spirits by purification, offerings and prayers (Anesaki, 7).

The kami are the objects of worship in Shinto. They are sacred spirits and can take various forms such as natural elements like the sun, mountains, trees, rocks, and the wind, or abstract things like fertility as well as ancestors, national heroes and protectors of family clans (Kodansha, 29).

            After the Meiji restoration, the Meiji rulers made Shinto their state religion and used Japan's creation myths, that showed a direct link between the Sun goddess and the emperor family, to foster national feelings and to justify the emperor's absolute position. Shinto priests became state officials and the important shrines were funded by the government. There were also efforts to separate and emancipate Shinto from Buddhism completely. After World War Two, Shinto was completely separated from the state and was classified as a normal religion. Today, most of the shrines belong to the Association of Shinto Shrines (Kodansha, 37).

I found that a large percentage of Japanese people, whom do not think of themselves as Shintoists, participate in the occasional rituals. For example, many Japanese people tend to have traditional weddings at shrine and infants are dedicated at the shrines. The Seven Five Three Festival (Shichi Go San Matsuri), an autumnal rite, features the presentation of children of these ages at the shrines. Coming of age ceremony(Seijin Shiki), held on January 15, officially recognizes the adulthood of those who will reach the age of twenty during the calendar year. The New Year (Shogatu) is the time when many Japanese people make the year's first visit (Hatsumode) to a Shinto shrine, and often to a Buddhist temple as well, to seek purification from the defilements of the past year and good fortune for the coming year. This season also features many other customs such as display of symbolic decorations, the preparation and consumption of special foods, game playing, kite flying, calligraphy practice and fortune telling (Neill, pp.14-19). I think however, the biggest ritual, which is influenced from Shinto, is the purification.  It is amazing to see how large population of Japanese people take the purification seriously. Going to the Shrine and have purifications at least one time a year seems to be almost part of the Japanese people’s way of life.

 Buddhism 

            Buddhism originated in India in the 6 century. It consists of the teaching of the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha and its theories are that human life is full of suffering due to worldly desires, illness, death and the loss of loved ones. By getting rid of desires and attachments, we can achieve the state of enlightenment (Nirvana) and escape suffering and the circle of reincarnations (Kodansya, 47).

 Buddhism was imported to Japan in 538 AD or 552 AD in form of a present from the king of the friendly Korean kingdom of Kudara (Paikche). The ruling nobles welcomed the teaching of Buddhism while the common people did not understand its complex theories. After a few conflicts with the native religion Shinto, the two religions were soon able to coexist harmonically and even complemented each other. Therefore, still now, there are no conflicts for most of people whether we go to the temple or shrine as long as we participate the religious rituals (Kodansya, 48).

During the Heian period, two new Buddhist sects were founded. The Tendai sect and the Shingon sect were imported from China in Tendai sect in 805 AD and 806 A.D. They were gradually interpreted in a Japanese way so that they could fit Japanese society and later they developed into further branches. In 1175, the Judo sect (Pure Land sect) was founded which allowed beliefs to be spread to different social classes of people because its theories were very simple and based on the principle that everybody can achieve salvation by strongly believing in the Buddha Amida.

The Zen sect was introduced from China in 1191 and is one of the most popular branches of Buddhism in contemporary Japan. Its complicated theories were popular, particularly among the members of the military class. According to Zen teaching, one can achieve self-enlightenment through meditation and self-discipline (Kodansya, 40)

            One of the most important rituals, influenced from the Buddhism is a family centred rites call Bon festival. It is the time when spirits of the deceased are welcomed home for a visit with special food offerings and other signs of respectful attentiveness. Bon is known as the festival of the Dead that occurs between August 13 and 15^.  During that time, Japanese people make offerings and have prayers on behalf of the spirit of the dead rather than ancestor worship (Earhart, 17). Every summer for this Bon, my family goes to my grandmother’s house and cleans my grandfather’s graveyard. My grandmother gives him water, tea and food every morning, but for the Bon, my grandmother and my mother make my grandfather’s favourite food for him. Although he has been dead for a long time, we spend time remembering him as a family. Sometime in the afternoon, the monk from the temple that my grandfather rests at came and says for him a special prayer.

Folk Religion  

            Folk religion can be described as the religious beliefs and practices that occur outside of institutionalized religion. It can be the oral tradition that handed down in families and carried by villages in seasonal observance and villages festivals (Earhart, 20). I found that it is hard to define what is the folk religion. From Japanese point of view, a good example of folk religion is the local festivals. Dr. Hori is the person who is well known for the study of Japanese folk religion. He states that, “Fork religion means a group of rites and belief which has been deeply felt by the common people, and supported and transmitted by them from generation and generation”(Hori, 2).

  Many rituals of folk religion are connected with growing rice. Before the seeding, several praying service for good crops, ceremonies for transplanting, praying for rain, for stopping storms or long rains, for driving away injurious birds and noxious insects, the offering of the new harvest and harvest festivals (Hori, 21). As he discuses in his book, due to the Japanese history, many of local festivals are related with growing rice. I found that there are different types of rice-crops related festivals due to the locations. For example, how my friend’s family celebrates and how my grand mother celebrates, the harvest festivals are quite different.

            As I demonstrated above, there are influences of different religious traditions in Japan. I found that this good quote which describes Japanese people and religion.

“Shinto is the root embedded in the soil of the

people’s character and national traditions;

Confucianism is seen in the stem and

branches of legal institutions, ethical codes, and

educational systems; Buddhism made the follower

of religious sentimentbloom and gave the fruit

of spiritual life”(Anesaki 8)

With my experiences as a Japanese person, it is true that this coexistence of different religious traditions exists in Japan. I think that the more I study about this, the better understanding I can have about my own culture, people and religion. Studying religion is not a popular field for young Japanese students, but I believe that it is very important for us to study our own rich culture and preserve religious knowledge, rituals and teachings for the next generation.

Bibliography

 Anesaki Masaharu, History of Japanese Religion. London, 1930.

 Earhart Byron H,  Religion of   Japan. San Francisco, 1984.

 Earhart Byron H, Religion in The Japanese Experience. Belmont, 1974.

 Hori Ichirou, Folk religion in Japan. Chicago, 1968.

 Kodansya edited by Hori Ishirou, Japanese Religion. Tokyo, 1972.

 Warren W Smith, Jr., Confucianism in Modern Japan – A study of conservatism in Japanese intellectual history. Tokyo, 1959.