Gods in the Rocks, Spirits in the Bathroom, Ancestors Watching Over You
Understanding religion in Japan
As a writer of Japanese culture living in the U.S., the first question I’m usually asked, after where to find the best sushi, is whether Japanese people are Buddhist or Shinto.
My usual answer is: Both. And neither. At the same time.
It’s a puzzle, like a Zen kōan, to which I add: People are born Shinto, marry Christian, and are buried Buddhist. Which only confuses them further. How is that possible, they ask.
I take a deep breathe and ask how much time they have for an answer. Of course they don’t have much time, and neither do you. So I’ll attempt to boil down the very complex topic of religion in Japan into a very short article. This means broad generalizations that miss important details and is sure to insult somebody. Sorry.
Japanese Religion
Many Westerners have an image of Japan as a highly spiritual place. Certainly, if you visit the country as a tourist, most of the famous sights from Meiji Jingu to Ise Shrine, from Hiroshima’s Itsukushima Gate to Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine, from the Big Buddha in Kamakura to the Bigger Buddha in Nara to the entire city of Kyoto is tied directly to the religious practice of Buddhism and Shinto…
