Religion is additionally an important element and dimension the makes up the Japanese culture. Japan’s religious background is not always easy to grasp and can consequently present itself as unclear to western cultures. Outside of the indigenous spirituality of Shintoism, Buddhism arrived in Japan from Korea around the 6th Century, while the minority religion of Christianity was brought to Japan ten centuries later by Jesuit missionaries (Crane, Bruce, Salmon, Eich, & Brandewie, 2012). Japan’s belief system is now made up of old and new religions while the nation’s constitution also observes religious freedom. According to Crane et.al (2012), the Japanese people do no treat the practicing of one religion as a hindrance towards observing others.
…show more content…
State Shinto, which is a branch of the Shinto religion, embodied a faith unique to the Japanese people. According to Yamagishi (2008), for half a century prior to and including World War II, State Shinto was the official state religion of Japan, and it played a significant role in the formation of militarism in Japan. The religion clauses in Japan's post-World War II Constitution, which allowed for freedom of religion, but also required a separation of church and state, was a direct reaction to State Shinto (Yamagishi, 2008). However, today, in direct comparison to many other societies, few Japanese individuals actually claim exclusive religious affiliation (Roemer 2009), making it rare for a Japanese person to state believing in only one religion or an exclusive Deity and acting accordingly to such beliefs (Kobayashi, 2005). According to Roemer (2009), “most Japanese describe themselves as “not religious” to distinguish themselves from those who are members of religions that are exclusive or that focus on “personal faith” (as sited in Kawano,
State Shinto, which is a branch of the Shinto religion, embodied a faith unique to the Japanese people. According to Yamagishi (2008), for half a century prior to and including World War II, State Shinto was the official state religion of Japan, and it played a significant role in the formation of militarism in Japan. The religion clauses in Japan's post-World War II Constitution, which allowed for freedom of religion, but also required a separation of church and state, was a direct reaction to State Shinto (Yamagishi, 2008). However, today, in direct comparison to many other societies, few Japanese individuals actually claim exclusive religious affiliation (Roemer 2009), making it rare for a Japanese person to state believing in only one religion or an exclusive Deity and acting accordingly to such beliefs (Kobayashi, 2005). According to Roemer (2009), “most Japanese describe themselves as “not religious” to distinguish themselves from those who are members of religions that are exclusive or that focus on “personal faith” (as sited in Kawano,