Kevin Frank
Eastern Greene High School
Symbols and Practices of Religion in Japan
Learning Objectives
1.
Students will be introduced to the historical and current practices of religion in Japan.
2. Students will compare the religious practices of Japan to practices of religion in the United
States.
Curriculum Standards
1. Geography and History of the World 2.1 – Map the spread over time of world religions from
their points of origin and identify those that exhibit a high degree of local and/or international
concentration.
2. Geography and History of the World 2.3 – Compare and contrast different religions in terms of
perspectives on the environment and attitudes toward resource use, both today and in the past.
(Human Environment Interactions, Change over Time, Physical Systems)
Guiding Questions
1. Identify some well known shrines in Japan and what religion they are connected to.
2. Identify some well known temples in Japan and what religion they are connected to.
3. What role does religion play in Japanese lives today?
4. What impact has the teachings and philosophy of Confucius had on Japan currently and
historically?
5. What influence has Christianity had on Japan in terms of the growth of the religion in Japan and
the practice of some of its customs?
6. What are some of the basic foundations and beliefs of Shinto?
7. What are some of the basic foundations and beliefs of Buddhism?
8. How are festivals in Japan connected to religion? Describe one of Japan’s more popular festivals
and its connection to a religion.
Learning Resources:
http://www.japan-guide.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/japan/religion.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/shinto.htm
http://www2.kanawa.com/japan/religion.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html (Senso Ji Temple information)
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3450.html (Itsukushima Shrine information)
http://eghs-japan.ning.com/
Geography and History of the World Student Text
Library related resources covering Japan
Key Terms
Shintoism
Buddhism
Shrine
Temple
Confucianism
Torri Gates
Instructional/Learning Equipment
1. Computer and projector
2. Library resources
Background Information
Most students living in Eastern Greene School District come from families that practice some
form of Christianity. Attending church on Sundays, and even on Wednesdays, is the norm for these
students. Examining the religious practices of Japan will provide quite a contrast to what students know
about religion in the United States.
Facilitating Actions
Day 1: I will show students the a video of my trip to Miya Jima this past summer. My video includes my
tour of the Itsukushima Shrine. This is a five minute video and will provide a nice “hook” for students to
be motivated to find out more about religious practices of Japan. Students will be divided into groups of
8 and each group will be assigned a guiding question to research. Students will prepare a short
presentation (5 minutes) to highlight main points to their answers to the guiding questions.
Day 2: Students will present and share their responses to the guiding questions. If time permitting, I will
share the relevant pictures I have from my trip highlighting the temples and shrines I observed.
Day 3: Writing assignment: students will write a one page response to this question – Through what you
have learned about the religious practices of Japanese people today, how does this compare to religious
practices of Americans in common times. Identify one way that religious practices could be considered
similar and identify one way in which religious practices are different.