New Religions In Japan

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Japanese “new religions” is not one of the easiest concepts to understand. In fact, it can cause much confusion. One of the hardest parts in understanding this is determining what the new religions are. Modern Japan is very diverse in the sense they allow their group of people to be apart of any religion they choose. This is also what makes Japan, the unique country that they are. The diversity of religions in Japan originated from the indigenous religions such as Shinto and Buddhism. Although most cultures follow and practice one religion, in Japan most of the people are apart of two religions. Those religions include Buddhism and Shinto. Before Buddhism was established in Japan, Shinto was the only religion that was practiced. …show more content…

As previously mentioned, “Buddhism, Shinto, and “new” religions are practiced in every part of Japan, as well as in overseas communities.” (A Concise Introduction to Religion, p.545) Buddhism and Shinto work together, influencing one another, making it difficult to understand one religion without having an understanding of the other. It is important to understand, that religion doesn’t play a big role in every day life in Japan. Following more modern rituals is something that Japanese people have become a custom too. So, “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.” (Religion in Japan) One of the festivals that takes place every spring is classified as “The Rousing Drum.” The festival can be viewed as, “a steam vent designed to release the pressure created by class and economic differences.” (A Concise Introduction to …show more content…

This may be confusing and even controversial for someone who is not from Japan and from a different religion. Luckily, there are a few ways to understand this concept, “One way to understand the diversity of religion in Japan is to imagine religious life as a marketplace in which consumers decide which shops to patronize on the basis of cost and product availability.” (A Concise Introduction to Religion, p.550) Also, “Variables of time, place, and occasion also enter into consumers’ calculations: thus a religious “product” appropriate for the end of summer—for example, the ritual prescribed to protect the ripening rice crop from insects, typhoons, or fire—is not the same ritual to protect one’s business from financial trouble or one’s soul from the flames of hell.” (A Concise Introduction to World Religions,

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