How important a role does religion play in Japanese society?

Wednesday 15th October, 03:28 AM JST

Latest 15 of 25 Total Comments Show All

uperjer at 10:21 AM JST - 15th October

can materialism be considered a religion?
Notginger at 11:09 AM JST - 15th October

No idea. Why don't you publish an article about it, instead of getting people with too much time on their hands to do your writing for you? Sorry, been here too long.

Moderator: The section is called Have Your Say.
tkoind2 at 01:15 PM JST - 15th October

Very little beyond helping to glue part of the cultural heritage together. Most Japanese I know go to the temple or shrine about three times a year. 1. New Years 2. During Sakura Season 3. Festival Season. And all seem more like social ritual than deep seeded adherence to organized religion.

But most Japanese I know carry a lot of superstition and pseudo-shinto beliefs that I think influence their thinking. But morally I think more of their behavior is driven by social mores.
mareo2 at 07:27 PM JST - 15th October

In J religion dont drive moral or a search for self-illumination. It keep going for tradition inertia and lucky charms/rituals. Is so soft and superficial that hardly mess in the politics or the justice system. Is present everyday, in everyones lifes, but have the same impact of the wallpaper in a room. Is interesting to be in a country that have very strict gun control, weak armed forces and no strong religion. For some foreigners must to look stupid, but I think that is another thing that help to keep low levels of violence. On the negative side, I dont think that people managing the temples like a business is better or worst than TV preachers in the west. No surprise that young people is not very religious, having priests that behave like shoopkeepers is not very inspiring. The only thing that I really can criticize is the Burakumin isue that have religious roots.
kavikahi at 07:46 PM JST - 15th October

Religion like society must prove its value.
himasan at 09:18 PM JST - 15th October

it will keep being important until all the baba jiji die out, which wont be anytime soon. Japanese religion revolves around money way too much.
brandonklex at 03:32 AM JST - 16th October

when i see japanese with a cross i think they are very religious.of course many of them is in the name of fashion.i also want to learn about their religions more.so i cant comment more on this.
bamboohat at 12:37 PM JST - 16th October

BrandonKlex, LOL.

Japanese people with cross = Westerners with chinese character tattoo

"What does that mean?"

"I think it means "peace" (power, loyalty, etc) or something..."
Betting at 12:48 PM JST - 16th October

I got the feeling from reading many of these posts and even talking to many Japanese people themselves that religion is about Western ideas and Western definitions, therefore the Japanese are not seen to be religious. I think it is much more than that. Anyone can even have a look at Wiki and see a number of definitions.

At a glance the Japanese appear to be very superstitious. Superstition is based on certain "other-worldly forces" in the universe. For me that is the same as religion. And the interest in the occult in this country is extremely high.

Also many of their beliefs and daily influences come from Shintoism which is a religion.

Superficially, to people from more Western countries the Japanese don't appear to be religious. But once you actually see what people do here, they definitely are religious.
buttamimi at 02:13 PM JST - 16th October

Japanese religion is consumerism. Go to any downtown area in Japan on a Sunday and you will see the congregation flock to the shops. They are greeted with homilies from the pastors of the shops. The congregation kneel, bend, stoop, gasp and pay homage to the various tidbits on display. After leaving the shops the congregation feel satisfied and spritually renewed for the week ahead.
Nippon5 at 03:39 PM JST - 16th October

bamboohat at 08:29 AM JST - 15th October

religion? not very.

superstition? very.

Your right on here bamboohat..

My in laws dont do much in what I would call religion(in a western view), but they/we do all the right things for the paticular religious holiday/day...

So I dont think they are overly religious, but they dont want to not do the ceremony items either...So they are religious just not overly.

Its actually refreshing that religion is in the culture and just part of what is being Japanese, and not like it is in the States..
gogogo at 07:58 PM JST - 16th October

None... Have a look at the amounts of money people give to the templates each year thinking money is the solution to everything.

Another examples is the "how to cheat" articles in magazines...
ALHQQ at 08:33 PM JST - 16th October

Religion? Whats that?
bamboohat at 09:31 PM JST - 16th October

Another examples is the "how to cheat" articles in magazines...

Really?
BlackFlag at 09:40 AM JST - 18th October

they dont give it any priority generally, that's good