Religion is an integral part of the mysterious Japanese culture. Religion includes not only faith and a set of views, but also corresponding behavior. Tourists often cannot find common ground with the indigenous inhabitants of the islands, because their behavior and mentality are very different from European ones. It is necessary to turn to the pages of history to understand what religion took root in Japan and how it affected the mentality of the Japanese.
History of Japan
Archaeological research has shown that the Japanese archipelago was inhabited by people during the Late Paleolithic period. The history of the emergence of Japan and its development until the 6th century is controversial, since before the emergence of the Chinese language, the Japanese did not have a written language, and therefore no reliable evidence has been preserved.
Japan is a young civilization. Statehood began to take shape in it only in the 4th - 6th centuries AD. The first mythological monuments date back to the same time, reflecting the complex path of formation of the system of Shinto cults.
Ancient beliefs of the Japanese
In the 4th century, when the territory of future Japan was occupied by Mongol tribes, the worldview of people was primitive. They believed in magic, and totemism and animism were common.
Totemism
Totemism is a faith based on the cult of the totem. A totem usually means a creature (usually an animal) that is an object of veneration. Since the life of ancient hunters depended on the presence of animals, a cult of celestial deer and elk cows arose - the “progenitors” of the animal world. This cult was reflected in the ancient Japanese custom of telling fortunes by cracks in a deer shoulder blade held over a fire. In addition, the Japanese worshiped foxes, snakes and turtles. The wolf was considered one of the dominant animals. He was called the spirit of the Okami Mountains. Peasants usually asked him to protect their crops and themselves from various troubles and misfortunes, fishermen - to send a fair wind.
Animism
Animism is the belief that everything that exists has a soul. All inanimate nature was spiritualized. From the point of view of animism, life exists in every object and subject of nature, be it a stone or a plant.
Based on animistic beliefs, a religion was born that is considered traditional in Japan - Shintoism.
The main reasons for the influx of foreign religious movements into China
There are several main reasons:
- The Great Silk Road.
This is the most significant trade route in the ancient world, through which people carried not only goods, but also thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. So the population of China was able to learn about the religious cults of other peoples, customs, and traditions.
- Migration.
The modern Chinese population was formed as a result of significant migration influxes from other territories. Each ethnic group brought its own culture, language, and religion. As a result of the movement of many nations, a single system of religion was formed, consisting of various cults.
- Political and historical events.
The PRC, both in ancient times and now, has always been of significant interest to other countries. Since the times of the Golden Horde, the Mongols have tried to conquer this state and introduce their religion. Subsequently, becoming one of the most actively developing countries in the world, it attracted leaders of other states who tried to expand their influence through religion.
- Targeted campaigning.
Since the 7th century. Preachers of external religions - Catholicism, Islam, Orthodoxy - began to appear in the PRC. They carried out active work, not always successfully, but persistently repeating attempts. As a result, many churches, mosques, temples, and sanctuaries of various kinds have been opened throughout the country.
Modern religious composition of the country
Currently, religion in the country is represented mainly by Shintoism and Buddhism. But Japan's religious composition is diverse.
Shintoists
The formation of Shintoism (or Shinto) as a national religion dates back to the period of the 7th-8th centuries. The Shinto religion is about the deification and worship of natural forces. The development of Shintoism was largely influenced by Buddhism. Shinto has many followers and is considered a traditional religion. Rituals in honor of the gods are performed in temples. One of the main symbols of the temple is the gate or torii (Japanese for “bird’s perch”).
Buddhists
Buddhism entered Japan in the mid-6th century through Tibet and China. Buddhists are the second most widespread group after Shintoists. Over the entire history of Buddhism in the country, various Buddhist schools and movements have come and formed, based on completely different aspects of the teaching: culture, philosophy, meditation, mantra reading and ritual. Some schools are active in the public sphere, others rely on monasticism. Schools are also actively interacting.
In modern Japan, Buddhist organizations are divided into two large groups:
- Traditional schools of Buddhism.
- Neo-Buddhist movements.
Christians
In the middle of the 16th century, the first missionaries appeared in Japan. Christianity influenced the formation of Japanese education and the socio-political thought of modern times. However, there are not many Japanese Christians in the country.
There are three directions:
- Protestantism. It is considered the largest denomination of Christianity in the country. Protestantism began as a response to Christian persecution in the 17th century. Organizationally, Japanese Protestants are united in 193 unions. Almost every Protestant Christian in the country is Japanese.
- Catholicism. It was brought to the country thanks to Portuguese explorers and missionaries. The Catholic Church of Japan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual leadership of the Pope of the Vatican.
- Orthodoxy. The Russian Orthodox mission was sent to Japan in the 19th century. At the same time, the Japanese Orthodox Church was founded. The Holy Scriptures and liturgical books have been translated into Japanese. In the current church there are 3 dioceses: Sendai and East Japan, Kyoto and West Japan, Tokyo.
Confucians
The history of Confucianism in Japan dates back to the early stages of the development of Japanese civilization and statehood. Migrants from the mainland, Chinese and Koreans, brought with them not only Confucian texts, but also the norms of Confucian morality and lifestyle that corresponded to them. Confucianism spread throughout the country both as a philosophical doctrine and as a religion. Currently it is not very popular and has a small number of followers.
Cultists
Sects in the country arose at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
Sects in Japan can be divided into two large groups:
- arose on the basis of Shintoism;
- arose as a result of the reformation of Japanese Buddhism.
For us, the word “sect” is consonant with “scammers”, “Satanists”, etc., but in Japan the meaning of sects and the attitude of others towards them is completely different. The activities of these organizations are related to religion, and they are engaged in charity.
Believers of other religions
Representatives of other religious groups are in the minority. Among them are Hindus, Baha'is, Sikhs, Jains and Jews. Among the inhabitants of Japan there are also supporters of local primitive beliefs and cults.
Atheists
In Japan, religion has been preserved not so much as faith, but as the observance of certain national traditions. Therefore, only 25% of Japanese believe that religiosity plays an important role in their lives. In the country, 31% of the population believes that no gods exist.
The principles of religious tolerance are quite deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Moreover, in Japan, few people believe that a person should “belong” to any church or necessarily profess any religion. This creates an atmosphere of minimal social pressure on atheists.
Follower percentage
Based on statistics, the percentage of religion followers looks like this.
Interaction of religious cults in China with the state
Freedom of religion is constitutionally enshrined in the PRC. All religious movements have reached the present time and are supported by their adherents.
The policy of the country's leadership has always been associated with beliefs. During the reign of the Empire, the ideas of Confucius were most supported, because one of their postulates was service to one’s state and the preservation of the existing system. The adherents of Taoism were mainly peasants and ordinary workers.
The ruling dynasty in all directions was based on spiritual trends, most political actions were based on them.
Faith was actively used as a tool of general political propaganda. Foreign missionaries and preachers used it for their own purposes.
In modern China, religion is recognized as a separate sphere of life of the population. The PRC is a large multinational state system, and the influence of faith on the policies pursued by the country's leadership is becoming ineffective.
The essence and goals of the Shinto religion
The majority of the religious population of Japan professes Shintoism. Translated from Japanese, Shinto means “way of the Gods.” Let's find out what it essentially is and understand what the basic concepts and features of the Shinto religion are.
Basic Concepts
Shintoism contains 3 main concepts:
- Most natural phenomena and forces of nature can have their own essence or basis. According to Shintoism, that which has a spiritual essence is a god or Kami (from Japanese). In other words, it is the deification of nature. Moreover, this means that people are born gods.
- Life should be in harmony with nature, and people should have harmony among themselves.
- Evil is the lack of harmony, selfishness and hatred that violate the general order that exists in nature.
Levels of religion
In Shintoism there are several levels, which are determined by the objects and subjects of the cult:
- Dynasty Shinto is the prerogative of the emperor's family. There are gods that can only be invoked by members of the imperial family, and rituals that can only be performed by members of that family.
- The cult of the emperor (Tennoism) is obligatory for all Japanese.
- Temple Shinto is the worship of general and local gods.
- Home Shinto is the worship of ancestral gods.
Deities in Shintoism
The total number of deities was so large that it was almost impossible to record them all by name. The most ancient religious treatises that have survived to this day, written in the 7th–8th centuries, give only the approximate number of gods, equal to, according to various indicators, either eight thousand or even a million.
The presiding deity is Amaterasu (“great deity who illuminates the heavens”), the sun goddess. The first god who began to rule people was Ninigi, the grandson of Amaterasu. Five deities began to help him, who founded the five clans of Japan that had the greatest influence on Earth. Niniga Iwarehiko's descendant, Jimmu, took over all of Japan and became the first emperor. Thus, all the emperors of Japan are related to that same Jimmu and are of divine origin.
Rituals and ceremonies
The Shinto religion is based on the veneration of Kami, for whom a temple is built. Rituals are carried out for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a connection between the Kami and the believers, entertaining and pleasing the Kami. Shintoists believe that this will allow them to count on the protection and mercy of the Kami.
There are 4 main Shinto rituals:
- Harai is a ritual of purification. During the ritual, hands and mouth are rinsed from the ladle.
- Shinsen is an offering. Kami are presented with gifts.
- Norito - ritual prayers. The prayer is read by a priest who acts as an intermediary between a person and Kami.
- Naorai is a ritual feast. Festive meal of parishioners.
Religious holidays
Shinto holidays are particularly pompous and colorful. They usually include a ceremonial procession or a fair with booths and shops. A large number of people gather at the holidays, many of whom, under this pretext, like to meet with their relatives. The most famous celebrations attract large numbers of tourists. In order to serve nationally famous holidays, special trains are used, and prudent Japanese reserve hotel rooms in advance.
Some of the most famous festivals include the Jion Festival in Kyoto, the Takayama Festival near Hide, and the Chichibu Festival in the mountains northwest of Tokyo. The latter involves chariots decorated with lanterns and driven through the city at night.
Agricultural holidays play an important role in the Shinto religion. The most important of them is toshigoi-nomatsuri. .
The Japanese pray for a good harvest and bring gifts to Kami.
Many (even traditional) holidays carry Shinto symbols or are associated with Shintoism. So, on New Year’s Day, a kadomatsu is installed at the entrance to the house - a decoration made from tree branches, which temporarily serves as a shelter for Kami, who protects the house from evil spirits.
Features of Shinto shrines
A temple is a place where rituals are performed in honor of the gods.
Shinto shrines differ from others in a number of ways:
- Shinto temples are regularly rebuilt in accordance with the principle of universal renewal;
- the temple complex consists of two or more buildings, which may include rooms for preparing sacred food, a place for spells and a dance stage;
- the main buildings have the shape of a rectangle, at the corners of which there are vertical pillars;
- the floor of the main temple buildings is always above the ground, so there are stairs leading to the temple;
- traditionally temples are built of wood;
- There are always gates - torii - in front of the temple entrances.
Syncretism of religions
Many believers in the land of the rising sun consider themselves to be two religions at the same time: Buddhism and Shintoism, which indicates such a phenomenon as syncretism.
Syncretism is the merging of religious systems.
For Japan, this is characterized by a mixture of different religious practices. Thus, families can celebrate Shinto rituals while still having a funeral at a Buddhist temple.
Shinto mythology
Myths that demonstrate Shinto ideas are contained in the Nihongi and Kojiki collections. The emergence of Shintoism is described in them along with descriptions of the life of two eras. The first of them is the so-called “Era of the Gods”, then – the reign of the emperor, at which the collections end the story.
Nowhere is it mentioned how long the Age of the Gods lasted. It is only known that it began with the creation of the world and continued until the gods transferred power to their descendants - the emperors.
According to Shinto mythology, chaos preceded the creation of the world. It contained everything that exists, but in a formless, disordered form. Gradually it divided into a plain and islands. Then the gods arose and quickly created couples. From marriages, new natural objects and phenomena were born, as well as kami - their souls.
The most famous mythical divine couple are the gods Izanagi and Izanami. It was from their union that the islands, later inhabited by people, arose. From them other gods appeared. The emergence of people is not discussed separately in Shinto myths. The Japanese do not see much difference between living people and kami; their existence has always been parallel. From myths come the origins of many rituals that are strictly observed to this day.
The myth of Susanoo laid the foundation for the rituals of sacrifice. Susanoo, the god of wind, once seriously offended his sister Amaterasu with unworthy behavior. To earn forgiveness, he brought her gifts of thousands of tables with the most exquisite dishes.
Since then, setting a rich table for the mercy of the gods has been one of the traditions. Sacrificial food should belong to different categories, be both prepared and donated by living beings (caviar, eggs). The Japanese even bury treats in the ground, believing that the kami treat them there, or display them in front of temples. Spirits live everywhere, and food is offered to them everywhere too.
Later myths tell of the struggle between gods and kami for power over territories. From there we learn about the god Ninigi, who was the first to descend to earth to rule people. It was from him that the line of emperors descended. Some legends contain information about five more gods ruling the earth, who laid the foundation for other imperial clans.
Attitudes towards religion in Japan
Shinto is the main religion of Japan and in a certain sense characterizes the nation, customs, character and culture. For centuries, the Shinto religion of the Japanese was cultivated as the main ideological system and source of rituals, which subsequently led to the fact that today the majority of Japanese consider rituals, traditions, holidays, life attitudes and rules of Shinto not elements of a religious cult, but the cultural traditions of their people. Therefore, although all Japanese traditions are permeated with Shinto, only a few Japanese consider themselves supporters of Shinto.
Reasons for the widespread spread of religious cults in China
Some widespread spiritual movements arose within China itself - these are Taoism and Confucianism, others penetrated from outside: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism. In addition, in some remote provinces, polytheism and the worship of various forces of nature, which was the official religion of the Celestial Empire before the spread of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, still persist.
The most ancient religions - Confucianism, Tao and Buddhism, developing over many centuries, successfully combined with each other, each of them found its own place in the general system of religions of China. The principles of Confucianism were used in relationships between people, Taoism - in the sphere of human feelings, Buddhism helped correct sins, and supported dreams of a bright future.
The existing system of Chinese religions was formed primarily at the lower level of the social hierarchy, in the form of superstitions, traditions and customs. The poor Chinese did not even distinguish individual religions, but turned to all gods at once.
