Is Japan a Shinto or Buddhist Country?

Behind the Scenes | 日本は神道の国、それとも仏教の国?

Is Japan a Shinto or Buddhist Country?

Having continued for more than 1,500 years, the Japanese imperial family is the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy and is said to be descended from the Goddess of the sun. Japanese people have worshiped nature by practicing Shinto since ancient times, but in 538 Buddhism was introduced from the Korean Peninsula. Dragging the imperial court into the fray, two powerful clans fought over its introduction: the Soga clan who were keen to adopt this new culture, and the Mononobe clan who wished to protect the traditional Japanese gods. Behind the scenes, the three kingdoms of Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo on the Korean Peninsula were fighting against each other for dominance of the peninsula. Through Buddhism, Baekje expected to ally itself with Japan, while Japan intended to adopt their advanced culture. By joining forces with Prince Shotoku – who was later credited with outlining the blueprint for present day Japan – the Soga clan won the battle and Buddhism was introduced into Japan. In addition to those in Nara – including Horyuji, the world’s oldest wooden temple, and the largest wooden temple, Todaiji – many temples were built all over Japan, and Buddhism spread. However, this did not eliminate the traditional Shino religion, instead a unique religious practice, in which Shinto and Buddhism coexisted, took root with the Japanese. After that, Buddhism divided into numerous sects, which became so influential that they were sometimes used by those in power, or had gained enough power to oppose the authorities. In the 17th century, in order to rid itself of the influence of Christianity, the Edo shogunate enforced a Buddhist policy of forcing its citizens to belong to a temple. It was established in this era that funerals were carried out in the Buddhist style, and that the corpse was buried in the cemetery of the temple to which that person belonged. It was the strength of support for the Emperor that brought about the end of the Edo period, which had lasted for about 260 years. The newly created Meiji administration made political use of the Shinto religion by positioning it at the heart of the state. The Showa era saw the rise of militarism and Yasukuni Shrine became a special Shinto shrine to commemorate those who died in the war, and later visits to the shrine by politicians became a controversial political issue. In this way, those in power at the time made clever use of Shintoism and Buddhism. Shinto has no clear doctrine except the deification of nature; worshiping mysterious mountains, forests, rivers, waterfalls, rocks, even animals, as well as great human beings as gods. Buddhism teaches people how to live by understanding and dealing with the truth that everything is subject to constant change and that all things have no true state but are inherently subject to decay, so consequently it’s hard to control our destiny. It is said that 80% of Japanese visit a shrine or a temple during the New Year in Japan. However, few Japanese know that April 8 is Buddha’s birthday. On the other hand, Japanese celebrate Christian events which have not had much influence on Japan. The underlying cause of this is that an interest in adopting and easily accepting new things is in the Japanese nature. Many contemporary Japanese seem to feel that Buddhism is old-fashioned, while Christianity is rather fancy. Although many gods coexist in Japan, few Japanese visit a church, shrine or temple for religious purposes – this includes New Year visits. The majority of Japanese are not very pious; for them religious events are merely events, and they even regard them as a bit of fun. In other words, you might say that Japanese live in a blessed society in which religious aid is not much needed. (From April issue, 2014 / 2014年4月号より)

1500せんごひゃくねん
Sen gohyaku/1500 nen
one thousand five hundred years
以上いじょう
ijou
(for) more than
つづ
tsuzu/duku
having continued
日本にほん
Nihon no
(the) Japanese
皇室こうしつは、
koushitsu wa/ha,
imperial family
世界せかい最長さいちょう
sekai’saichou no
the world’s oldest
世襲せしゅう君主くんしゅ
seshuu’kunshu
hereditary monarchy
de
is and
太陽たいよう
taiyou
the sun
no
of
女神めがみ
megami ga
(the) Goddess
祖先そせん
sosen to
to be descended from
われてきました。
iwarete kimashita.
is said
日本人にほんじん
Nihonjin wa/ha
Japanese people
古代こだい
kodai
ancient times
から
kara
since
神道しんとう
Shintou o/wo
Shinto
信仰しんこう
shinkou shi
by practicing
自然しぜん
shizen o/wo
nature
崇拝すうはいしてきました
suuhai shite kimashita
have worshiped
が、
ga,
but
538ごひゃくさんじゅうはちねん
gohyaku sanjuu hachi/538 nen
five hundred thirty-eight [year]
ni
in
朝鮮ちょうせん半島はんとう
Chousen’hantou
the Korean Peninsula
から
kara
from
仏教ぶっきょう
Bukkyou ga
Buddhism
まれました。
mochikomaremashita.
was introduced
その導入どうにゅう
Sono dounyuu o/wo
its introduction
めぐって、
megutte,
over
あたらしい
atarashii
new
文化ぶんか
bunka o/wo
(this) culture
積極的せっきょくてき
sekkyokutekini
(who) were keen
れたい
toriiretai
to adopt
蘇我そが
Soga’shi
the Soga clan
と、
to,
and
これまでの
koremadeno
traditional
日本にほん
Nihon no
Japanese
神々かみがみ
kamigami o/wo
(the) gods
まもりたい
mamoritai
(who) wished to protect
物部もののべ
Mononobe’shi no
the Mononobe clan clans
二大豪族にだいごうぞく
ni’dai gouzoku ga
two powerful
朝廷ちょうてい
choutei o/wo
(the) imperial court
んで
makikonde
dragging into (the) fray
あらそいました。
arasoimashita.
fought
そのうらでは、
Sono ura dewa/ha,
behind the scenes
朝鮮ちょうせん半島はんとう
Chousen’hantou
the Korean Peninsula
no
on
百済くだら
Kudara,
Baekje
新羅しらぎ
Shiragi,
Silla
高句麗こうくり
Koukuri
(and) Goguryeo
no
of
さんごく
san’goku ga
(the) three kingdoms
半島はんとう
hantou
(the) peninsula
no
of
覇権はけん
haken
dominance
o/wo
for
めぐって
megutte
against
たがいに
tagai ni
each other
あらそっていました。
arasotte imashita.
were fighting
百済くだら
Kudara wa/ha
Baekje
仏教ぶっきょう
Bukkyou o/wo
Buddhism
つうじて
tsuujite
through
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
to
with
同盟どうめいむすびたい
doumei o/wo musubitai
to ally (itself)
思惑おもわく
omowaku ga
expected
あり、
ari,
while
日本にほん
Nihon wa/ha
Japan
百済くだら
Kudara no
their <Baekje’s>
先進せんしん文化ぶんか
senshin’bunka o/wo
advanced culture
れたい
toriiretai
to adopt
意向いこうがありました。
ikou ga arimashita.
intended
のち
nochi ni
later
現在げんざい
genzai no
present day
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
no
for
設計図せっけいず
sekkeizu o/wo
(the) blueprint
えがいた
egaita
outlining
といわれる
to iwareru
(who) was credited (with)
聖徳しょうとく太子たいし
Shoutoku Taishi
Prince Shotoku
to
with
んだ
kunda
by joining forces
蘇我そが
Soga’shi ga
the Soga clan
勝利しょうりし、
shouri shi,
won (the battle) and
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
ni
into
仏教ぶっきょう
Bukkyou ga
Buddhism
もたらされました。
motarasaremashita.
was introduced
世界せかい最古さいこ
Sekai’saiko no
the world’s oldest
木造もくぞう寺院じいん
mokuzou’jiin,
wooden temple
法隆寺ほうりゅうじ
Houryuuji
Horyuji
ya
and
世界せかい最大さいだい
sekai’saidai no
the [world’s] largest
木造もくぞう寺院じいん
mokuzou’jiin,
wooden temple
東大寺とうだいじ
Toudaiji
Toudaiji
などの
nado no
including
奈良なら
Nara
Nara
no
in
寺院じいん
jiin
those <temple>
ほかに、
no hoka ni,
in addition to
日本にほん各地かくち
Nihon’kakuchi ni
all over Japan
おおくの
ooku no
many
てら
tera ga
temples
てられ、
taterare,
were built and
仏教ぶっきょう
Bukkyou wa/ha
Buddhism
ひろまっていきました。
hiromatte ikimashita.
spread
しかし、
Shikashi,
however
古代こだいからつづ
kodai kara tsuzu/duku
traditional
神道しんとう
Shintou o/wo
(the) Shino religion
排除はいじょすることはなく、
haijo suru koto wa/ha naku,
(this) did not eliminate ~ instead
神道しんとう
Shintou to
Shinto and
仏教ぶっきょう
Bukkyou ga
Buddhism
共存きょうそんする
kyouzon suru
coexisted
独特どくとく
dokutokuna
unique
宗教観しゅうきょうかん
shuukyou’kan ga
a religious practice (in which)
日本人にほんじん
Nihonjin
(the) Japanese
ni
with
根付ねづきました。
nezu/dukimashita.
took root
その
Sono go,
after that
仏教ぶっきょう
Bukkyou wa/ha
Buddhism
さまざまな
samazamana
numerous
宗派しゅうは
shuuha ni
sects
かれ、
wakare,
divided into which
ときには
tokini wa/ha
sometimes
権力けんりょく
kenryoku
those in power
ni
by
利用りようされ、
riyou sare,
(they) were used
あるいは
arui wa/ha
or
権力けんりょく
kenryoku ni
(the) authorities
対抗たいこうする
taikou suru
to oppose
までの
made no
enough
ちから
chikara o/wo
power
motsu
(by those who had) gained
ほど
hodo
so- that
影響力えいきょうりょく
eikyouryoku o/wo
influential
ちました。
mochimashita.
became
17じゅうなな世紀せいき
Juu nana/17 seiki
(the) seventeenth century
には、
niwa/ha,
in
キリスト教きりすときょう
Kirisuto’kyou
Christianity
no
of
影響えいきょう
eikyou o/wo
(the) influence
のぞ
torinozoku
rid itself of
ために、
tameni,
in order to
江戸えど幕府ばくふ
Edo’bakufu wa/ha
(the) Edo shogunate
国民こくみん
kokumin o/wo
(its) citizens
いずれかのてら
izureka no tera
a temple
ni
to
強制的きょうせいてき
kyouseiteki ni
forcing
所属しょぞくさせる
shozoku saseru
to belong
政策せいさく
seisaku o/wo
a (Buddhist) policy (of)
りました。
torimashita.
enforced
葬儀そうぎ
Sougi o/wo
funerals

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