Shinto

Finding a way to judge the respective merits of their truth claims is, therefore, extremely difficult." (An Introduction to Humanities, Block 4 p52) So even for the spiritual enquirer of religion, the task of understanding religion is far from easy. There is further clouding of the issue for students when one needs to separate religions from cults. The Church of Scientology has been unable to register its centre as a place of worship in Britain - the closest an organization can get under…

The start of the Meiji Era and the beginning of Japan’s road to modernization, started when the 16 year old emperor Mutsuhito selected the era name Meiji for his reign. This period commenced with the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate and led to Japan’s transformation from a feudal nation into a modern industrial state. Japan emerged from the Meiji Period with a parliamentary form of government and as a world power through military expansion abroad. The Meiji regime first began as an alliance…

Did you know that samurai followed an unwritten code called bushido that still exists today? This is just one of the impacts Japanese samurai have left behind. First, samurai were needed throughout Japan for protection and battle. Second, samurai have changed many times over the history of Japan. Finally, samurai have had an important impact on Japan. Without the samurai, the government and lifestyle of Japan would be entirely different. First of all, samurai were needed all over japan. They…

During the fifteenth century, the Muromachi culture arose in Japan, which was influenced by Zen Buddhism. The shoguns supported Zen Buddhism where it was associated with the school of Buddhism that dealt with meditation and mind-to-mind transmission of truth. Zen continued to flourish and influence the Japanese culture. The idea of Zen focused on the simplicity side of things and that idea permeated through the arts such as Nō theatre. The Ashikaga shoguns were patrons of the Nō theatre. This…

Although modern society could be considered secular to a certain extent, there was a time when religion and its ideologies played a vital role in daily life. This is especially true for life in Japan following the introduction of what is now known as ‘Buddhism’. Once the teachings of Buddha were infused into Japanese society, it effected everything from art, to values, and culture within the society. The inception of Buddhism came into practice at approximately 500 BCE in India, but did not make…

differences of the two codes, I am going to give short summaries of each code. Too start, the warrior code of the Samurai is under the “Bushido code” which is the code of the Warrior. The warrior code of Samurai’s ideas came from Buddhism, confutisim, and Shinto. The code’s main important standards were moral obligations, and appearance and intelligence.…

Part One There are many differences between the American and Japanese culture. One must never assume that any one culture is the same, even if the two culture appear similar on the surface. American and Japanese cultures appear similar on the surface. But if one looks any deeper than surface level, it is very easy to see that the two cultures are as different as any two cultures can be. In this section three key differences will be discussed between American and Japanese culture. The author…

Buddhism: (1 - 1750) Buddhism originated in N. India, and is traced back to Siddhartha Guatama’s search for an antidote to end suffering in the 5th century BCE. Early Buddhism was spread slowly along the trade routes by Buddhist merchants and monks. In the 3rd century CE, Ashoka, a ruler of the Mauryan Empire, converted to Buddhism. He did not forcefully convert his people, but he sent missionaries to East Asia and left edicts throughout the empire. Buddhism eventually made it’s way into places…

During the past week, I created a coat of arms that symbolized who I am as an individual. Every little detail present in this work mirrors a great deal and a more meaningful interpretations in order for me to communicate the right message and feeling to the viewers. The coat of arms is encompassed a perfect circle as a symbol of something that is whole, complete, ideal and eternal. With a shape that has no ending and no beginning, the message is somehow parallel to cyclical ideas and processes.…

Death and Funerals in Japan Death is a time for people to mourn over loved ones that have been lost. The way people handle deaths and funerals are varied throughout different cultures. In Japan, a funeral includes a wake, the cremation of the deceased, a burial in a family grave, and a periodic memorial service. Japan has two major religions in their culture: Buddhism and Shintoism (Nelson). Shintoism is the positive aspects of life; for example, getting married, childbirth, birthdays, etc.…