Religion in Japan is a wonderful mish-mash of ideas from Shintoism and Buddhism.

Unlike in
the West, religion in Japan is rarely preached, nor is it a doctrine. Instead it is a moral code, a
way of living, almost indistinguishable from Japanese social and cultural values.
Japanese religion is also a private, family affair. It is separate from the state; there are no
religious prayers or symbols in a school graduation ceremony, for example. Religion is rarely
discussed in everyday life and the majority of Japanese does not worship regularly or claim to be
religious.
Japan is routinely presented as one of the least religious countries in the world. Religion does
not play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. The average person
typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals, may visit
a shrine or temple on New Year and participates at local festivals (matsuri), most of which have
a religious background.

Shintoism: Shinto (literally “the way of the gods”) is Japan's native belief system and predates
historical records. The many practices, attitudes, and institutions that have developed to make up
Shinto revolve around the Japanese land and seasons and their relation with the human
inhabitants. Expressions of Shinto beliefs toward nature include the recognition of a divine spirit
(kami) in venerable old trees, large mountains, and tall waterfalls, as well as celebrations of the
highlights of each season. (This reverence is often expressed by the placement of a small shrine
next to the natural element being celebrated or garlanding it with a white rope.) Traditionally,
Shinto also involves purification rites and customs to overcome the polluting effects of death and
decay. However, Shinto does not espouse a moral code, lacks religious scriptures, and does not
conceive of a life after death.

The introduction of Buddhism to Japan did not cause the abandonment of Shinto. Instead, the
pantheons of both religions were expanded so that Buddhist figures adopted complementary
Shinto identities and Shinto kami were thought to strive toward Buddhist enlightenment. In this
way, new converts to Buddhism were not obliged to abandon their traditional beliefs, and
Buddhism was able to appeal to a wide range of people.

Buddhism: Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century BC. It consists of the teachings of
the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha. Of the main branches of Buddhism, it is the Mahayana or
"Greater Vehicle" Buddhism which found its way to Japan. In Japan, Buddhism was adopted as
an arm and pillar of the state from the seventh century. Buddhism arrived in Japan by
first making its way to China and Korea through the Silk Road and then traveling by sea to
the Japanese archipelago. As such, early Japanese Buddhism is strongly influenced by Chinese
Buddhism and Korean Buddhism. Though the "official" introduction of Buddhism to the country
seems to have occurred at some point in the first half of the sixth century.
Confucianism: Confucius ( 孔子 , Kōshi) was a Chinese philosopher who lived in China from
551 to 479 BC. His teachings, known as Confucianism ( 儒教, Jukyō), have had a deep impact
not only on China but also many neighboring countries, including Japan. Confucianism is one of
the three traditional Chinese religions, besides Taoism and Buddhism. According to early
Japanese writings, it was introduced to Japan via Korea in the year 285 AD. Some of the most
important Confucian principles are humanity, loyalty, morality and consideration on an
individual and political level. During the Edo Period (1603-1867), Neo-Confucianism (especially
Chu Hsi Confucianism) was the most important philosophy in the Tokugawa government and
education. It had a prevalent impact on Japanese society at the time, and its influences can still
be felt today.

Christianity: The first Europeans to Japan came from Portugal and landed on Kyushu in western
Japan in 1542, bringing both gunpowder and Christianity along with them. Some lords,
especially on Kyushu, and Japan's upcoming leader Oda Nobunaga welcomed these new visitors
for the weapons they brought with them and tolerated the missionaries that came together as part
of the package.

The missionaries were eventually successful in converting considerable numbers of people in

Other new religion of Japan:

Agonshu:

In the 1950's Kiriyama Seiyu had a religious revelation. He believed he had been saved by the
Bodhisattva Kannon. Kiriyama became an ascetic for a number of years and then had a further
revelation. He believed had become free of karma and should teach others how to follow the
same spiritual route.

Aum Shinrikyō:

Aum Shinrikyō (オウム真理教) derives from the Sanskrit syllable Aum (which represents the
universe) followed by Shinrikyo written in kanji, roughly meaning "religion of Truth". In
English "Aum Shinrikyo" is translated as "Supreme Truth." However, in January 2000, the
organization changed its name to Aleph in reference to the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet,
along with their logo. As of 2008, Aum Shinrikyo/Aleph membership is estimated at 1,650
people by the Japanese Government. Although many people associate this religious group with
the sarin gas attack in a Tokyo subway station, the core teachings of this religion are
“transcending life and death” (relating to gedatsumõ [emancipation]) and “absolute freedom,
absolute happiness” (relating to satori [enlightenment]).

Kurozumikyo Kurozumikyo:

Kurozumikyō Kurozumikyō (the Teachings of Kurozumi) was founded in 1846. The founder, a
Shinto priest, Kurozumi, had a divine union with Amaterasu, and from this ‘Direct Receipt of the
Heavenly Mission’ the religion began. Though Kurozumi's divine union occurred in 1814, the
sect was not formally organized until 1846, when the priest and senior disciples assembled the
Osadamegaki, putting into writing all the beliefs, values, and laws of the religion. The core
beliefs are that Amaterasu is the source of all light and life and creator of all the universe.
Mankind is believed to be able to tap into the divine power of Amaterasu in order to heal the sick
and perform other miracles. As of 1978, the group claimed 218,000 followers. Mahikari was
named for two Japanese religions. The first being Sekai Mahikari Bunmai Kyodan ("World
Religious Organization of True Light"), which was founded by Okada Kotama who was trying to
save the people from the end of the world. The second group being Sūkyō Mahikari ("True Light
Supra-Religion"), which was founded after Okada's death. The two groups follow many of the
same ideas and practices, some of which derive from Shinto.

Omoto:

In 1892, a Japanese woman named Deguchi Nao became possessed by the folk deity Ushitora-
no-Konjin. As a result, she and her son-in-law Deguchi Onisaburo founded Omoto, which
centered on this god.

Soka Gakkai:

Sōka Gakkai literally, "Value-Creation Society") is a new religious group boasting are more than
12 million members of Sōka Gakkai International in 192 countries and territories. Founded by
educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchhi in 1930, the organization was suppressed during World War
II for its opposition to government-supported State Shinto. He, along with Josei Toda and other
top Sōka Gakkai leaders, were arrested in 1943 and charged as "thought criminals". In the
following years, Toda rebuilt the Sōka Gakkai membership from less than 3,000 families in 1951
to more than 750,000 before his death in 1958. In 1960 Sōka Gakkai began to develop a program
of international outreach. Daisaku Ikeda, the third president of Sōka Gakkai, made a journey that
took him from Japan to the United States, Brazil, and Canada. During this trip he met
practitioners in each of these countries and began laying the foundation for what would later
become Sōka Gakkai International (SGI). In 1975, SGI was formally founded, with Daisaku
Ikeda as its president. SGI now claims a membership of somewhere between 100,000 to 300,000
practitioners in the United States. Sōka Gakkai is possibly the largest organization of Nichiren
Buddhist practitioners and today (though, Nichiren has severed official ties to this new religion),
and it claims that its membership accounts for nearly 10 percent of Japan's population (though
there is little concrete evidence to support that).

Sukyo Mahikari:

Okada Yoshikazu (Kotama), was the founder of Sūkyō Mahikari and was born in 1901 to the
wife of an imperial army officer in Tokyo. The core teaching of Sukyo Mahikari is "The origin
of the world is one; the origin of all human beings is one; and the origin of all religions is one."
Therefore, all human beings are brothers and sisters whose purpose is to co-operate and to live
together in harmony. The attitude of helping each other, with love and respect and without
judgement, resentment or blame, is their highest obligation. Through an understanding of the
universal principles and God's plan for humankind, people can more easily fulfill their
responsibilities as members of their families and society.

Tenrikyo:

Tenrikyō originated from revelations to a 19th-century Japanese woman named Nakayama Miki,
known as Oyasama by followers. Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God, known by several
names including Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, expressed divine will through Nakayama's role as the
Shrine of God, and to a lesser extent the roles of other leaders. Tenrikyo's worldly aim is to teach
and promote the Joyous Life, which is achieved through acts of charity and mindfulness
(hinokishin).

What religion was in the past:

Religion has always been one of the world's most controversial and volatile phenomena. Wars
have been fought in the name of gods and for possession of holy places from time immemorial.
In America, religion is seen as something intensely personal, something which nothing and no
one may dictate to another person. Japan was settled in the hopes of ending religious persecution,
and Japan Constitution declares religious freedom to be an inalienable right. Most religious sites
are clearly marked by the presence of churches, synagogues, or mosques. Religious scriptures are
easily identifiable. In short, while we may not understand all the religions practiced in our
country, there is generally no confusion over what constitutes a religion or a religious action, and
our laws forbid interference in that practice. In Japan, this has not always been the case. Shinto,
translated as Kami no Michi, or "The Way of the Gods," is Japan's oldest and only indigenous
religion. It focuses on the connection between the human world and the spirit world, and
contains thousands of kami or gods, who protect and nurture their followers. The main aspects of
Shinto can be seen in the importance of nature and purification, both of which still exist today.
Buddhism, the original sect that came to the country was Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism
began in India, and from there traveled to China, and then to Korea, which is where Japan would
ultimately learn of the religion. Buddhism first appeared in Japan during the Asuka Period in
either 538 AD, according to a biography of Prince Shotoku, an important Buddhist ruler, or in
552 AD, according to the Nihongi. Confucianism first entered Japan from China, and Shotoku
discovered that Buddhist spirituality and Confucian ethics worked quite well together. Over time,
many more religions have emerged. People practiced their respective religions and religious
rituals with full faith.

What religion is in present:

Japan, like the rest of the world, has not only developed a religion, but has also developed a
common religious belief and its associated reforms, customs, rituals, etc. Every religion in Japan
believes in supernatural powers, but each religion has its own history. At the present time all
religions have come out of their place of belief. People of different religions participate in Shinto
rituals. Anyone other than Shinto followers can attend the ‘Haraye’ ceremony held at the Shinto
shrine following certain rules. Various Shinto religious practices have now become common
culture for the Japanese. O-Mikuji, a Shinto ritual, is now practiced in Buddhist temples as well.
Kagura dance is also enjoyed by people of all religions. Despite religious beliefs, basic religious
observances among the Japanese have been declining since the time of Emperor Meiji. After
World War II, some missionary schools were established in Japan that taught people how to live.
At that time no activities were conducted for the propagation of religion. The Meiji government
developed religious liberal ideology among the Japanese. The constitution guarantees the
freedom of religion of the Japanese. Equal rights of all religions are also ensured. Japan's policy
of secularism was established. At present a person follows the rituals of different religions. The
Japanese collectively observe religious rites as part of their cultural activities. It is also called
folk religion. The Japanese hold a number of religious and social ceremonies throughout the
year.

Blending/Syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism:

Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture,
while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century. Since then, the two
religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other
to a certain degree. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist or both. It is often
argued that there is a religious pluralism in Japan Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism,
Christianity and syncretism has traditionally been one of the general features of Japanese
religious culture. Religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices.
Instances of religious syncretism—Judaism, Christianity, and Greek religious philosophical
concepts. The fusion of cultures sometimes tended to bring together a variety of religious and
philosophical views that resulted in a strong tendency toward religious syncretism. Japanese
religion is also a private, family affair. It is separate from the state; there are no religious prayers
or symbols in a school graduation ceremony, for example. Religion is rarely discussed in
everyday life and the majority of Japanese do not worship regularly or claim to be religious.