Religion inJapan

Most Japanese people profess to not believe in any particular religion. Many people, especially those in younger generations, claim to feel that religions as something to stay clear from pointing out historical reason mainly of the role that the nation enforced Shinto played in the World War II and most recently of the Aum and its actions. However, Shinto and Buddhism teachings are deeply entangled in a everyday life of Japanese. Often, it is so deep that it takes someone from outside to point that out.

For example, most Japanese people feel free to participate in various religious activities from different religions which is a prime example of a Shinto teaching that opened its door wide to include any gods and every gods. One may visit a Shintoism shrine on New Year's day for the year's success and before school entrance exam to pray to pass. The same person may have a wedding at a Christian church and have funeral at a Buddhist temple. The same person would feel lucky to receive a chocolate on the St. Valentine's day and may have gone to a shrine to pray for one. Streets would be decorated on Tanabata, Obon, Halloween and Christmas with each appropriate styles and no one would protest to this religious orgy.

A popular praying when in trouble is to say "Kami-sama, Hotoke-sama, douka otasuke kudasai." ('Gods and Buddha, please help me.') which is very odd indeed since this would mean the prayer believes both Shinto and Buddhism, maybe even Chiristian too. Maybe this is the kind of mindset needed to understand religions of Japan and the role they have.

Traditional religions
While it has been the backbone of the Japanese culture from the ancient times, from the 16th to the 19th century Shintoism flourished, eventually seeking unity under a symbolic imperial rule. Adopted by the leaders of the Meiji Restoration, it received state support and was cultivated as a spur to patriotic and nationalistic feelings. Following World War II, state support was discontinued and the Emperor publicly disavowed divinity. Today Shintoism has reverted to a more peripheral role in the life of the Japanese people. The numerous shrines are visited regularly by a few local believers and, if they are historically famous or known for natural beauty, by many sightseers. Many marriages are held in the shrines, and children are brought after birth and on certain anniversary dates; special shrine days are celebrated for specific occasions, and numerous festivals are held throughout the year. Many homes have "god shelves," where offerings can be made to Shinto deities.

Buddhism first came to Japan in the 6th century and for the next 10 centuries exerted profound influence on its intellectual, artistic, social, and political life. Most funerals are conducted by Buddhist priests, and burial grounds attached to temples are used by both faiths and other faiths not limited to Christianty and Islam are also allowed there.

Confucianism arrived with the first great wave of Chinese influence into Japan between the 6th and 9th centuries. Overshadowed by Buddhism, it survived as an organized philosophy into the late 19th century and remains today as an important influence on Japanese thought and values but is very rarely practised as a religion.

Christianity, first introduced into Japan in 1549, was virtually stamped out a century later survivng only in the secluded area around Nagasaki; it was reintroduced in the late 1800s and has spread slowly. Today it has 1.4 million adherents, which includes a high percentage of important persons in education and public affairs. Several Universities were started by Christians and there is even a Christian university called "International Christian University" established in 1949.

Islam has been slowly growing as people comes to contact with it through people from Islamic nations or by learning about it through various ways. It is a very small group probably not even in the thousands and have a limited or no social influence yet and unlikely to in the foreseeable future. While believers may be frowned upon at first, generally, their need to pray and observe certain teachings are not hampered and unlikely to turn into a problem.

New religions
Beyond the three traditional religions, many Japanese today are turning to a great variety of popular religious movements normally lumped together under the name "new religions." These religions draw on the concept of Shinto, Buddhism, and folk superstition and have developed in part to meet the social needs of elements of the population. The officially recognized new religions number in the hundreds, and total membership is reportedly in the tens of millions.

The biggest new religion is Soka Gakkai, a Buddhist sect, founded in 1930. The Komei party is of this faith. It is both in national and local assemblies and has a huge influence on politics as it is a part of the coalition government at the Diet. Because the Constitution requires separation of religion and state the religion's connection with politics is often criticized.

Other new religions include:

· Seicho no Ie

· Shinreikyo (God-Soul Sect)

· Mahikari Kyodan (True Light Sect)

· Kiriyama Mikkyo (Kiriyama Esotericism)

· Kofuku no Kagaku (science of Happiness)

· Aleph (formerly called Aum Shinrikyo)

· Mahikari

· Oomoto

· Konkokyo

· Tenrikyo