Most people have at least heard of the word Shinto, but as to what it actually is, and it’s relation to Japanese Buddhism, most people are in the dark. Well, here is an attempt to shed some light on how these two religions co-exist in Japan.

Shinto

Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan. It is an animistic religion, meaning that rather than espousing belief in a single creator God, it posits that all elements of nature are actually gods themselves, known as kami. Thus trees, islands, animals, rivers, etc. are all considered sacred by the Shinto religion. Shinto shrines known as jinja found all over Japan and are considered the abodes of local kami.

Buddhism

Buddhism began around 2500 years ago in India. It quickly spread throughout India then on to China where it merged with Taoism and was transformed into what then became known as Ch’en Buddhism. In this form it spread down through the Korean Peninsula and by that route on to Japan. In it’s original form it spread south into Thailand, and throughout South-east Asia. Thus there are two main divisions, the one that made it’s way though China is referred to as Mahayana, and the one that spread south is called Theraveda. The differences between these two are a bit beyond the scope of this article. In any case, the Mahayana version of Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th Century.

Syncretism

Syncretism is when multiple religions are combined to form new ones. The arrival of Buddhism didn’t cause much of a stir with the common folk as the new religion was mainly studied and practiced by the aristocratic class. Now, one might think that the arrival of a new religion would result in clashes of belief leading to conflict such as that between Islam and Christianity. The great difference here is that both Shino and Buddhism are not religions of the book. There are no proscribed rules that must be followed, thus no conflict between them. In reality the two religions merged quite harmoniously with Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples often sharing the same grounds. As Japanese Buddhism matured it gradually gained acceptance by the common people. Nowadays there are a variety of Buddhist systems in Japan including the Pure Land Sect, Sokka Gakkai, Zen, Nichiren, etc.

Religious Practice in Japan Today

There is a saying in Japan that people here are born Shinto and die Buddhist. That doesn’t mean that they convert their beliefs on their deathbed, but that baptismal ceremonies are usually held at the Shinto shrine and funerals at the Buddhist temple. The reason Japanese people don’t see any conflict in this is that neither religion requires deep belief or faith in the manner we are used to in the west. Can you imagine Muslims and Christians attending the same buildings of worship depending on which holiday it is? The two religions are not mutually exclusive. This idea causes perplexity within people of the religions of the book, Christianity, Islam and Judaism. For they believe there is only one true religion (unfortunately they don’t believe it is the same one!). For this reason the Japanese belief system is very hard to understand for those outside of Japanese culture.

If you’d like to learn more about religious belief and practice in Japan, wikipedia is always a good place to start. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan

If a person spends a few months in Japan one is bound to observe a few Japanese matsuri or festivals. These are usually held on the grounds of local Shinto shrines known as jinja. They are, for the most part, held to celebrate the changes of the seasons. A visitor to a local matsuri will find numerous food-stalls selling favorite foods such as takoyaki (friend octopus balls), yakisoba (friend noodles) and oddly enough bananas dipped in chocolate on a stick (somehow I think this is a more recent addition to the menu!). There are also many game stalls where people try to win prizes, much like the traditional carnival or state fair. Some uniquely Japanese games are trying to catch goldfish or baby turtles with a paper net before it dissolves in the water, and shooting cork guns at playstation boxes in attempts to knock them over.

The highlight of most festivals is the parade of the mikoshi, or portable shrine as it has often been translated. This is a spectacle not to be missed. Groups of people dress in traditional shirts and sumo style pants carry the mikoshi or rather pump it up and down while marching up the street chanting yoi sah yoi sah! Which was translated to me as “Come on, come on!” The shrine is then carried throughout the neighborhoods surrounding the shrine, sometimes for hours. There are many variations on this. The craziest one I have heard of is in Osaka, where a huge mikoshi, literally the size of a small house, is pulled at full speed on wheels throughout the city. During the process the pullers are thrown into houses, crowds and anything else that happens to be in the way. After this event the local hospitals are filled with people who’ve sustained minor injuries. Most festivals however are less life-threatening so don’t be afraid to observe, or even take part as carrying of the mikoshi is open to anyone strong enough to endure it.

Some of the more unique festivals held throughout Japan are the aforementioned crazy house-sized smashing up Osaka festival, the purpose of which I have no idea. The penis festival, held to promote fertility, at which penis and vagina shaped candies are given out to adults and children alike. The fire festivals in which huge bonfires are created in the streets of Kyoto, and there is even apparently a naked festival. I have yet to see this one but will make an effort to do so!

Anyway, no matter what kind of festival it is, matsuri are great places to experience a taste of the old Japan, eat some great food, and see normally reserved Japanese men and women let loose and have some crazy fun.