Exploring the Religions
of Our World
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
The Basics
 Shinto (the indigenous religious tradition of
Japan) emerged from Japan’s prehistory
 Japanese religion is an amalgamation of
religions:
Shinto
Confucianism
Buddhism
Taoism
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Periods of Japanese Religious History
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Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History
The basic myth of the creation of Japan and its people:
 kami (spirits) emerged just after the beginning of
heaven and earth and created other kami
 both the mythological and historical emperors of
Japan are from an unbroken line originating in the
sun goddess
 the Japanese have long believed that they, their
land, and their emperor, have divine origins, setting
them apart from all the world
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
Chinese Influence:
• Japanese indigenous religion adopted the
Confucian notion of li (proper behavior)
• aspects of Confucianism and Taoism were adopted
and adapted into the indigenous religious
expression
• Shinto was the name of the indigenous Japanese
religion given by the Chinese
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
Forms of Buddhism in Japan:
Heian Period (794-1185)
• Buddhism became the prominent religious
tradition
• Tendai Buddhism and Shingon Buddhism were
introduced to Japan
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
Many sects of Buddhism
flourished during the
Kamakura Shogunate
(1185-1333):
Vajrayana Buddhism
Taught Enlightenment is possible
in this lifetime; elaborate rituals;
secret Transmission of insight;
instructive scriptures
Tendai Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism
Focused on the Lotus Sutra
which taught that
Enlightenment was universal
Taught that all had the
opportunity to be reborn in
blissful Pure Land by showing
great devotion to Amida Buddha
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
… and two schools of Zen Buddhism:
Rinzai Zen
Believed a person could gain
immediate Enlightenment;
emphasis on the use of the koan
Soto Zen
Believed Enlightenment was
a gradual process;
emphasized “seated
meditation” (zazen)
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
Two notable koans:
What was your face like
before your parents
were born?
When a tree falls in a forest
Where no one is present,
does it make a sound?
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Sacred Stories and Sacred Scriptures
Shinto has no official sacred texts.
These are considered authoritative and significant for
both the religious and historical heritage of the
Japanese people:
The Kojiki
Record of Ancient Matters
(a compilation of the oral myths
and legends of the Japanese
people)
Nihonshoki
Chronicles of Japan
(the history of Japan
beginning with the
Japanese creation myth)
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Beliefs and Practices


Kami



are not gods but rather it has to do with
whatever is sacred, such as the natural
world (mountains, rivers, trees, rocks)
can be human beings, the emperor,
great warriors, poets, scholars, and wise
ancestors
focus on aid and protection
are both creative as well as destructive
are prayed to in local or national
shrines, in homes or in nature
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Beliefs and Practices (continued)
Important things emphasized in Japanese living:
The
extended
family/clan
Harmony
Loyalty
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Sacred Time
Matsuri is the name for Japanese festivals:
Hina Matsuri
Omisoka
The Year-End Festival
(day of preparation for
New Year’s Day)
Kodomo no Hi
Children’s Day
(public holiday with
tradition of kite flying)
Obon
(three day festival
celebrating the
return home of
ancestral spirits
for a short time)
Girl’s Day
(celebrated by
dressing dolls in
traditional costumes)
Shogatsu
The New Year
(three day celebration)
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Sacred Places and Sacred Spaces
There is no place that is not sacred on the land of Japan
because all of Japan has a divine origin.
Some special places:
Shrines
(home, local,
and national)
The Natural World
(mountains, rivers,
trees, boulders)
Temples
Ise
(shrine for the
imperial family
in ancient Japan)
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Japanese Religions through a Catholic Lens
Similarity:
• Sacred time is defined as “the extraordinary within
the ordinary” --- a taste of the infinite in the finite
Differences:
• Rather than using the four seasons of nature to help
designate sacred time while Christians use Easter as
the central event of the Christian year
• The liturgical year is based on significant events in
the life of Christ and his Church rather than the
four seasons of nature
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Vocabulary





Shinto
kami
shogunate
zazen
koan





Soka Gakkai

kamidana

butsudan

samuri warriors 
harajiri
kimono
tori
kami body
feast days