8. Japanese Religious Core Belief

Japanese version, here

Shoji Sugita

• The Japanese1 religious core belief comes from their folk 3Shintoism.
• Essentially, for the Japanese, and sometimes for some Japanese
   Christians, too, the gods are the same as buddhas.
• They believe that every Japanese person will become a god or buddha
• when he dies.
  The Japanese are fond of 3Matsuris2 (festivals), with gods as their
• guests of honor.
   
• Preface.
  
   There is a misunderstanding by foreigners regarding the religious belief
  of the Japanese, for occasionally an intelligent Japanese will say, "I don1t
  have any religion." In fact, however, even he will adhere to the Japanese
  core belief of Shintoism which holds not to one god, only, but to a
  combination of gods and buddhas.
  
    More, the Japanese always keep some distance from peoples who adhere
• to one God, only, and from followers of religious sects.  Therefore, at times
  the Japanese are generous to these foreigners about their alien beliefs.
  Moreover, the Japanese enjoy celebrating festivals with these alien gods and
  treat them as guests of honor.
  
    And how do the Japanese hold to their religious core belief in today1s
  modern, urbanized, and isolated society? It is a very difficult question,
  but I think the answer is as follows:
    As I said, above, the Japanese1 religious core belief comes from their
  folk Shintoism. Therefore, as they go about their daily lives, the
• Japanese occasionally remember their fundamental belief in Shintoism and
  are comforted in their minds.
    For instance, in Nagoya, more than one and a half million Japanese visit
  Atsuta Shrine2 during the first three days of the New Year holiday time,
  each year. In Tokyo, more than two million people visit Meiji Shrine. Many
  other shrines, too, are visited for the first time each year during the New
  Year holday. Some shrines are famous; others are not, but at whichever
  shrine the Japanese visit, they will pray there, sincerely. For ordinary
  Japanese, Yasukuni Shrine2 is regarded as just another place of worship.
  Yet, they think of it, too, as a symbol of the theory of  Separation of
  Religion and Politics.
    Another way in which the Japanese remember their religious core belief
  is by participating in many Shinto ceremonies called, Jichinsai. These
  ceremonies are performed by Shinto priests according to ancient tradition at
  the start of the construction of houses, factories, other technological
  institutions, and highways. The owners, the representatives of the workmen,
  and some others pray sincerely in the Shinto way at these particular
  ceremonies.  They pray matter-of-factly, without thinking, for they pray
  with their original, pure, folk Shintoism in mind.
  
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