There are many religions in the world and yet nowhere are religious traditions more uniquely tied to the historical, cultural and spiritual identity of a people then they are in Japan. Americans follow an amazing variety of religious traditions in a bewildering number of ways. In fact, the essence of religion in America rests on the individual freedom to choose one’s religious path. Not so in Japan. Almost all Japanese follow one intertwined religious mixture of Shinto/Buddhist traditions, traditions that are uniquely Japanese and form the basis of much of their culture. Yet most Japanese people would adamantly say that they are not religious at all, that the rituals they practice are simply part of “being Japanese.”

     How this came to be and what it means is a curious tale indeed, and provides a glimpse into the heart of the “real” Japan. First we will look at the history and ideas of Japanese religion, then we will see how it is practiced in daily life, keeping in mind that this is only a introduction to a vast and subject!

     Japan has a very unusual religious history.  It is a history that is  thousands of years older than that of the United States. In some ways it is simpler, in other ways more complex. 

     The roots of Japanese religion originate in several places. First we have the indigenous religion. This seems to follow the basic patterns of other primitive cultures in that it was (and still is) centered around Nature Worship, “Kami” (Gods, Spirits, Forces or Powers)  and a divine agricultural cycle. It was quite similar to Native American Traditions. The most important thing being, of course, keeping people fed and safe with the help of supernatural powers. So, for example, the Rice Kami, the Goddess Inari, was and is one of the most important gods. Other foreign  kami, festivals and customs were introduced into Japan through the Korean Peninsula. This first wave of people and ideas overwhelmed the indigenous people and their customs and, mixing with it, created something new and unique, but still basically animistic and Pagan. Much later Buddhism was introduced into Japan from India via Tibet, China and  Korea. This came in several waves, along with art, writing and technological innovations, was contested at first, and eventually merged with the local religion which had by then come to be called Shinto.
 

Mt. Fuji - a kami and a mountain.

The word Shinto breaks down as follows; SHIN is the Kanji (character) for kami . TO means way. Thus SHINTO is the Way of the kami, their rituals and worship.       A short explanation of “kami” is in order here in that it is quite unique to Japan. Most people translate kami as God, sometimes as Spirit. Strictly speaking, this is incorrect. In the words of a venerable Shinto scholar, a kami is “any specific Power that causes awe.”  As in Native American or other Shamanic Traditions, doctrine, dogma and intellectual concepts are not important. Kami can be either Heavenly or Earthly. They can dwell in stars, mountains, trees, lakes and people. They can be malignant or helpful or neutral. They can be eternal or they can be the powerful ghosts of deceased people. If this seems confusing, read on.

     All through the long cultural history of Japan, one thing remained constant, Nature was seen as the supreme force in life.  As indicated, some trees had great and powerful kami that could help or hinder. Lakes had Serpent kami that could drown you or give you children, mountains were (and still are) gods and goddesses. The most famous of these is, of course, the Goddess who is Mt. Fuji. Village life, centered around Shinto shrines which were the spiritual and social cores of the culture. Later, Buddhist temples were built on shrine sites or, as is often the case, shrines and temples were combined in one area. Buddhism eventually became concerned almost solely with death, funerals and afterlife, while Shinto continues to be woven into the daily life of the Japanese people, celebrating such events as birth, renewal and purification. Yet it is often hard to strictly separate temples from shrines and the lines between their functions and divine histories often blur.
 

Festival dancers in ancient costumes

Shinto evolved naturally in Japan with some foreign elements and gods being incorporated into it (like the Seven Lucky Gods who came from India and China), but Buddhism changed significantly after coming to Japan. Let us briefly see how Buddhism became a “Japanese”religion.      When Myong, King of a part of what is now Korea, gave a statue of the Buddha and the Buddhist holy books to the legendary Emperor Kimmei, it started a long political and religious struggle between the most powerful clans in Japan. Some accepted this new religion, others stood by Shinto and rejected it. Finally, around 600 AD Prince Shotoku accepted Buddhism and from that time on it became part of Japanese life. At first, only the upper-classes practiced this new religion. Huge new temples to this faith were created like Todaji Temple in Nara, still the largest wooden structure in the world. During the Nara period, around 800-1000 AD, two famous Japanese monks revised and popularized Buddhism. One was Dengyo Dashi and the other was Kobo Daishi. They both went to China and brought back important new religious ideas. The Tendai sect of Buddhism was then established upon their return and the Lotus Sutra, the final teaching of the Buddha, became the focus of this order. This sutra even today is the most important Buddhist teaching in Japan and the  most influential. Also brought back were the more complex and esoteric ideas of Tibetan Tantra. In short, these teachings were practical ways for a person to gain deep understanding of their “Buddha Mind.” Key to these practices is the idea of Mantra or, in Japanese, “Shingon.” These are sacred words that, if chanted correctly, lead to enlightenment. Another altered tantric practice that has become an important part of many Japanese esoteric Buddhist rites is the goma or fire-pit rite where ones attachments are burned with long involved ceremonies.

     During this time, as Japan became cut off from other Buddhist countries, a unique religion developed. Slowly Buddhism and Shinto began to come together, Shinto kami became identified as Boddhisattvas of Buddhist saints and spirits. The Tendai sect participated in this movement which was called “Ryobu Shinto” (two aspect Shinto) or “Ichijitsu Shinto” (One reality Shinto). So we can see why, today, most Japanese follow both Buddhist and Shinto traditions without seeing any real contradiction between the two.
 

Image of Buddha  from temple.

Around 1200 AD  there began a long period of struggle and instability in Japan and new sects of Buddhism appeared at this time almost in answer to the trouble and uncertainty of the populace. These  two new schools of Buddhism were based on very different ideas; one was “Jiriki”or self reliance, the other was “Tariki” or intercession. The first stated that each alone is responsible for developing his or her Buddha-nature, the second taught that only by appealing for divine help from the great Buddha could one attain enlightenment and a kind of salvation in the next life, in paradise.      Jiriki was taught by the new sect called “Zen.”  Though based on Chinese “Chan” Buddhism, supposedly started by Bodhidharma soon after Buddha's death, it soon became a uniquely Japanese religion embraced by the Warrior or Samurai Class. Many Japanese ideas of discipline and concentration that are embodied in such rituals as the Tea Ceremony can be traced to this school of thought.

Priest selling charms  at temple on  Buddha's birthday.

     Tariki Buddhism was taught by two of the most famous people in Japanese history, though they differed in their viewpoints. Both began as Tendai monks, but soon split away to found new and uniquely Japanese forms of Buddhism. The first was Honen who was the founder of a new and very popular sect known today as “Jodo.”  His teaching was very simple, by calling upon Amida Buddha with devotion, one could attain an afterlife of bliss in Heaven. Shinran, a disciple of Honen, went on to create a new sect rooted in Jodo, but  significantly different. He rejected the monastic system and carried Buddhism into everyday life. This was a new and important idea. He stressed that the practice of Buddhism was an everyday thing, not just for celibate monks, but for everyone. He also taught that what was most important was that calling on Amida Buddha created an inner awakening and this led to enlightenment. Both these men and the sects they started were directed at the common people of Japan, this also was a new idea that has helped make Japan what it is today.

     The third important person in the saga of Japanese Buddhism was Nichren. He was, in a sense, a Buddhist  radical who called for  a return to a more pure or fundamental form of Buddhism. He denounced all the other Japanese sects of Buddhism as evil and caused conflict with his new and powerful ideas. He claimed that only his sect could save Japan and he called for a renewed worship of the Lotus Sutra by chanting it’s name in Japanese over and over.

     All these sects still exist today in Japan and, in conjunction with Shinto, form the basis of Japanese religion. 

     But how do they function within Japanese culture?

     Very simply, SHINTO  professes almost no dogma or set beliefs. As mentioned, It is the “way of kami worship” and sometimes it is said that there are “eight million kami.” Though this is allegorical (8 is the magic number in Shinto), it indicates the open-ended nature of Shinto cosmology! The key Shinto literature does not include a “holy book” like the Buddhist Sutras or the Christian Bible, the nature of Shinto precludes that. But there are a few key works that are compilations of myth and history, usually combined. The most important is the KOJIKI, the other is the NIHONGI. They reveal the various kami of heaven and earth, how Japan was created by them and how the first Emperor was descended from the supreme kami of heaven; the Sun Kami Amaterasu Omikami, a female kami by the way.

      Kami like Amaterasu Omikami are worshiped in shrines which are ceremonial buildings that can be anywhere in size from a shelf in a home to a massive structure that covers dozens of acres. The most important of these is the central Shrine at ISE of Amaterasu Omikami, but there are dozens of shrines almost anywhere you go in Japan. Many shrines are dedicated to kami that no one really remembers. The important thing with this modern Shamanic religion is results. If one shrine’s kami seems to be particularly effective, it grows, prospers and becomes more popular. Also, shrines can and do decline. Almost every large shrine has some sort of psychic or mythic history of its founding and this encounter is usually ceremonially reenacted when its festival occurs. 

     Some shrines are dedicated to kami who once were powerful people, like Emperor Meiji or Admiral Togo, both of whom are now kami who reside in famous shrines in Tokyo. Shrines can also be dedicated to kami of malignant people or people who died violent and unresolved deaths in order to keep their potentially harmful kami at bay. In short, kami can bring good or bad blessings, wealth, sickness, or health. When people die, they too become kami. Shinto is uniquely Japanese and does not seek to convert people.

     Buddhism, on the other hand, is  a religion that has spread around the world. It began in India and was preached by a man called the “Buddha”or Enlightened One. Buddhism does not teach that there is one God as do most Western religions. It teaches that there is the “Buddha Mind,” this  cannot be seen, understood intellectually or worshiped. In face, everything is Buddha, all things are really one thing. By taking an oath that he would lead all people to this blissful unity or “nirvana,” Buddha became the focus of the religion. This is why the Japanese Amida sects call on Buddha to lead them to Nirvana.
 

Buddhism also accepts other beings, spirits, gods and devils as part of its reality. These are often associated with Boddhisattvas. Boddhisattvas are beings who are messengers from the Buddha to help people find enlightenment. It is these that became associated with the Shinto kami. Yet, Buddhism teaches that  the universe we see is not the real one. We must look within to find the true reality. This may take many life-times. Buddhism teaches that we return to this world after death again and again until we attain Nirvana. In Japan the Buddhist view-point, especially the mystical way of Zen, has colored almost all aspects of the arts such as “kado” (the way of flower arranging), “shodo” (the way of the brush; calligraphy) and “kendo” (the way of the sword).       Thus far we’ve examined some of the influences of these beliefs in Japanese culture, let’s stand back and see how they translate into rituals practiced by Japanese people.      As we approach Meiji Jingu (Shrine)  in Tokyo,  along the “Sando” or approaching path, we can observe many things about the practice of Shinto. People are walking slowly, in small groups or alone. They are not going to a service and this could be any day of the week. There are no set weekly services. In fact, there are no set services at all except for the festival rites which are open to everyone and which vary from shrine to shrine, with a very few exceptions like “Shogetsu” or New Years Day, when ALL shrines are busy. There is no set congregation, though each shrine tends to attract people who live in the neighborhood. But Meiji Jingu is a national shrine and people from all over Japan come here.

The Lotus - A symbol of summer.

     People are dressed respectfully, but not necessarily in special clothes. They walk slowly and enjoy the natural setting. Often they are socializing. Most people who are conscientious will walk on the left or right-hand sides of the sando, the center is where the kami walk and so is generally left clear, especially during New Years festivities when it is actually roped off in some shrines. Everyone walks through the “Torii” or distinctive shrine gate that looks like a large open “TT”,  and approaches a small stone basin of water that stands by the path. This is the purification basin and has many ladles and fresh running water. Each person uses the dipper to pour water over his or her hands, then rinses the mouth. This spiritually cleans the person, now he or she is ready to petition the kami of the shrine. People individually approach the “Honden,” the central hall of the shrine, but really they are approaching the kami enshrined there. They throw some money in the offering box which is before them, they bow deeply two times, a silent prayer is directed at the kami and the person then claps two times with hands held at chest level. Another deep bow is executed, a moment of silence and the person then shakes the rope suspended over the offering box which rattles the round bell over his or her head. This calls the Kami’s attention. Offerings may be left at the shrine for the kami or may be given to the priest to give to the kami. A number of special magical amulets (Omamori) may be gotten from the priests for a specific donation afterwards. These amulets contain the power of the kami and often contain a rolled up prayer or invocation. Omamori are available for health, pregnancy, driving safety and for passing exams, among other things! As we peer past the offering box into the shrine we will see the offerings to the kami. They are placed in beautiful arrangements there daily by the priests of the shrine and often consist of Sake, fruit, rice (cooked or uncooked) and other kinds of food, but never meat.  Also branches of a certain tree are often offered. The prayer is brief and personal, usually asking the kami for something practical. Maybe we will see a ritual being performed by a priest and some people. This usually is commissioned by the people involved for a specific reason.  A large fan consisting of many paper and flax streamers is waved by the priest over the petitioners head to purify him. An offering of a branch is made by the petitioner.  A special prayer is chanted for the kami by the priest in a very old form of Japanese.  A drum is slowly pounded  many times and the ritual is over. 
 

Procession from a shrine.

During festivals, other kinds of more public rituals will be performed with great excitement and enthusiasm. For example, before New Years Day, Hie Jinja in Tokyo has a public cleansing ritual where the kami, always represented in shrines by stylized folded paper or metal tree-like images, are brought out of the shrine so they might bless everyone. Small paper dolls are handed out and, after prayers and long periods of eerie high-pitched “shrine music” is played to entice the kami, all the bad spiritual impurities gathered over the year are rubbed into the dolls, they are collected and then burned.  A more common ritual at “Matsuri” or festivals is the procession of Mikoshis, small ornate portable shrines that are carried with much chanting, laughing and general wildness throughout the shrines neighborhood. In effect, the kami are taken out for a tour of their domain to toss prosperous and purifying energy around the area! There are thousands of fascinating and different rituals associated with Shinto, but they have these things in common; their aim is to purify and make prosperous, not in heaven, but here and now!

     At this time a discussion is led by the priest, but it is very different from Christian sermons. The priest gives very practical advice and the members of the congregation sometimes interject comments or questions. After this the service may end with a prayer or chanting and the bell is rung again.

     Of course a Zen temple will reveal a different way of following Buddhist doctrine. It is true that Zen temples do have services and some rituals as mentioned, but for the most part we will observe rows of figures sitting silently before empty walls. If they doze off, they will awaken to a swift slap from a bamboo pole held by a priest. These sessions may last several hours or several days.

     Yet another ritual, as mentioned before, is the “goma” rite. This is often done by the more mystical sects of Buddhism or by sects like the “Yamabokushi” or mountain priests who combine Buddhist and Shinto rites and practices. Usually one’s participation is limited to writing something on a stick of wood that is then burned and “released” during the rite by the priest. The priest and congregation all chant together and the ashes thus produced are said to have magical effects.

     Some interesting glimpses will, hopefully, have been gained from this all too brief look at some of the ideas and practices of Japanese religion. To really feel the full power of Shinto and Japanese Buddhism, you must come and visit the "Land of the Rising Sun," the abode of Nature kami and dancing Bodhisattvas.
 
 

(Containing ancient histories, laws, traditions, mythology and ceremonies and prayers. These are not “holy” texts!)

• The Kojiki    “Record of Ancient Matters”   *
• The Nihon-Shoki  “Chronicles of Japan”    *
• The Kujiki    “Chronicle of Ancient Events”
• The Kogoshui   “Gleanings from Ancient Stories”
• The Engi Shiki   “Detailed Laws of the Engi Period”

 * Translations available in English, Tuttle Books, Tokyo.