Religion in Japan: Buddhism and Shintoism

It originated in the first centuries A.D., when the first Buddhist monks landed in Japan, and was well received especially by the samurai, who were fascinated by the monks’ iron discipline. This happy marriage would have mixed fortunes until a few decades ago, when Japan finally adopted religious freedom in its constitution. Since then, strong influences from other religions, especially animist and Christian, will also enter into shinbutsu shūgō.
The two main religions coexisted particularly well given their complementarity, so much so that it is not at all difficult to find houses, or even temples, with altars dedicated to both confessions. With a bit of luck, you might even find small Christian chapels, or rooms dedicated to Muslim prayer, should you need them.
Since religion is only an ‘indicative’ factor for the Japanese, the main difference between the two religions concerns the sphere they attribute to them in the Rising Sun: Shintoism, with its kami (nature spirits) cares for the private sphere of the individual and his interaction with the world. Buddhism, on the other hand, tends to be the religion of community living and greatly influences people’s behaviour. Both are, however, seen as private. Making the sign of the cross or ostentatiously wearing religious symbols is viewed extremely poorly by the people of the Rising Sun. On the other hand, it is perfectly normal to see people even of a certain level carrying trinkets and talismans. The Japanese in fact experience their relationship with the deity as a voluntary act, a quid pro quo for immediate advantage. It is not seen as self-interest, but a simple exchange of favours between man and kami or Buddha. A ‘neutral’ talisman is not seen as a religious symbol, but rather proof of the agreement between the person and the various spirits. While every Japanese person, even non-believers, often attends these shrines, they do not do so lightly. The strong sense of duty of the Japanese and their lack of faith in the fickle nature of spirits makes each of these covenants an obligation to be fulfilled, but one can never be one hundred per cent sure. Things change a little when one refers to the prominent figures inherited from other religions. Christ and Mohammed are accepted in Japanese culture, but are considered examples to follow, rather than ultra-human figures. This also applies to the emperor, who in Japan is considered a direct descendant of Amaterasu (the sun kami), whose birthday can be considered the country’s only true religious festival. There are many other festivals (like our Christmas), but they are seen as moments to be lived in community, with no other value than that of idleness (Christmas itself is precisely seen as a festival for lovers, like our Valentine’s Day). A slightly different discourse applies to New Year’s Eve, when Japanese people swarm
to the various temples to renew pacts with the spirits and pray to the ancestors to watch over them at the moment of renewal.