According to the Government of Japan, 69.0% of the population practises Shintō, 66.7% practise Buddhism, 1.5% practise Christianity and 6.2% practise other religions as of 2018.
Religion in Japan is manifested primarily in Shinto and in Buddhism, the two main faiths, which Japanese people often practice simultaneously. According to estimates, as many as 80% of the populace follow Shinto rituals to some degree, worshiping ancestors and spirits at domestic altars and public shrines.
What are the main beliefs of Shinto? The main beliefs of Shinto are the importance of purity, harmony, respect for nature, family respect, and subordination of the individual before the group. There are many Shinto gods or spirits and these have shrines dedicated to them where people offer food, money and prayers.
Shinto is polytheistic, involving the veneration of many deities known as kami, or sometimes as jingi. In Japanese, no distinction is made here between singular and plural, and hence the term kami refers both to individual kami and the collective group of kami.
Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century. Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other to a certain degree.
The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important kami. Some prominent rocks are worshiped as kami. In contrast to many monotheistic religions, Shinto does not have absolutes.
Unlike the Western World, Christmas has only been celebrated in Japan for the past few decades. And it's not recognized as a religious holiday. Instead, Christmas is a time for the Japanese to spread happiness and show love.
There is no concept of original sin in Shinto. On the contrary, it is believed that all sin and pollution can be removed by harae. This does not mean, however, that there is no acceptance of responsibility for restitution for sin.
In Islam's teachings of tolerance is an important part and parallel to the doctrine of fairness, equality and honesty. Shinto also has the teachings of this kind, particularly its superiority in matters of tolerance and its ability to adjust to the changing times.
Death & Mourning
The Buddhist influence on the Shinto religion teaches that thinking and meditating about death is important. Any death reminds the follower that life on earth is short. Death should challenge the living to make life meaningful by words and actions.
First, the Shinto religion was born in Japan, whereas Buddhism was imported from China and Korea starting from the 5th century. They were officially separated at the end of the 19th century. Hence, the place of worship is usually named a shrine when it is Shinto, and a temple when it is Buddhist.
Terminal illnesses, dying and death are considered “negative” or impure and akin to “contamination.” Frank discussions on death and dying may be difficult at first. However, at some point most Japanese are said to embrace Buddhism in later life. As such, death is considered a natural process, a part of life.
Buddhism and Shinto are the most popularly practiced religions in Japan. Though the two often overlap and many Japanese consider themselves members of both, they are distinct religions with unique origins and traditions.
The People's Republic of China is officially an atheist state, but the government formally recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism are recognized separately), and Islam.
Emperor Ōgimachi issued edicts to ban Catholicism in 1565 and 1568, but to little effect. Beginning in 1587 with imperial regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi's ban on Jesuit missionaries, Christianity was repressed as a threat to national unity.
The Pew Research Center estimated that there were 185,000 Muslims in Japan in 2010. For 2019 it was estimated that the numbers rose to 230,000, due to the more friendly policies towards immigration, the Japanese converts being estimated at 50,000, and Japan now has more than 110 mosques compared to 24 in 2001.
Shintoism is Japan's indigenous spirituality. It is believed that every living thing in nature (e.g. trees, rocks, flowers, animals - even sounds) contains kami, or gods. Consequently Shinto principles can be seen throughout Japanese culture, where nature and the turning of the seasons are cherished.
An infinity of gods
The word "Shinto", 神道in Japanese, means the "way of the gods" and defines the existence of a myriad of gods. The quasi-infinite number of Shinto deities in Japan is sometimes estimated to 8 million.
Shinto. There is perhaps no religion that loves alcohol as much as the Japanese Shinto religion, which reveres sake as the most sacred of drinks—the “liquor of the gods.” The god of sake is also the god of rice and the harvest, so drinking sake is associated with a bountiful and blessed harvest.
These three alleged doctrines were specifically banned: (1) that the Emperor is superior to other rulers because he is descended of the sun goddess Amaterasu; (2) that the Japanese people are inherently superior to other peoples by their special ancestry or heritage, or (3) that the Japanese islands are spiritually ...
Praying at a Shinto Shrine: Bow Twice, Clap Twice, Bow Once
Just like the purification, the actual worship is also ritualized. A general rule of thumb when going to a shrine to worship: bow twice, clap twice, bow once. 1. Throw your money in the offering box.
The campaign started in the 70s to tempt tourists and expats with chicken on Christmas Day when they couldn't find turkey to eat, and was the the brainchild of Takeshi Okawara, the manager of the first KFC in the country, according to the BBC.
And in Japan, Christmas means KFC. On December 25th every year, you'll find millions of Japanese people sitting down to a hearty meal of KFC fried chicken, with orders placed with the restaurant months in advance. It's all thanks to a very effective marketing campaign that began in the 70s.
In Japan Santa is known as サンタさん、サンタクロース / Santa-san (Mr Santa) or サンタクロース / Santa-Kurosu (Santa Claus). (Another Japanese gift bringer is Hoteiosho, a Japanese god of good fortune from Buddhism. But he is NOT related to Christmas.)