RELIGION IN JAPAN

Shinto and Buddhism are Japan'stwo major religions. They have been co-existing for several centuries and have even complemented each other to a certain degree. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist or both.
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.
Shinto ("the way of the gods" is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism.
Introduction

• Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the bible. Propaganda and preachingare not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions.
• "Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. The kami of extraordinary people are even enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important kami.

• Some prominent rocks are worshiped as kami.
• Shinto shrines are the places of worship and the homes of kami. Most shrines celebrate festivals (matsuri) regularly in order to show the kami the outside world.

• Important features of Shinto art are shrine architecture and the cultivation and preservation of ancient art forms such as Noh theater, calligraphy and court music (gagaku), an ancient dancemusic that originated in the courts of Tang China (618 - 907).

• Ise Jingu is Shinto's most sacred shrine
• The introduction of Buddhism in the 6th century was followed by a few initial conflicts, however, the two religions were soon ableto co-exist and even complementeach other. Many Buddhists viewed the kami as manifestations of Buddha.
• In the Meiji Period, Shinto was made Japan's state religion. Shinto priests became state officials, important shrines started to receive governmental funding, Japan's creation myths were used to foster an emperor cult, and efforts were made to separate and emancipate Shinto from Buddhism.
• After World War II, Shinto and thestate were separated.
• Tokyo's Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji.
• Shinto Today

• A whole range oftalismans are available at shrines for traffic safety, good health, success in business, safe childbirth, good exam performance and more.
• A large number of wedding ceremonies are held in Shinto style. Death, however, is considered a source of impurity, and is left to Buddhism to deal with. Consequently, there are virtually no Shinto cemeteries, and most funerals are held in Buddhist style.
• 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.
• Buddhism was imported to Japan via China and Korea in the form of a present from the friendly Korean kingdom of Kudara (Paikche) in the 6th century. While Buddhism was welcomed by the ruling nobles asJapan's new state religion, it did not initially spread among the common people due to its complex theories.
• There were also a few initial conflicts with Shinto, Japan's native religion. The two religions were soon able to co-exist and even complement each other.
• People visit shrines in order to pay respect to the kami or to pray for good fortune. Shrines are also visited during special events such as New Year, setsubun, shichigosan and other festivals. New born babies are traditionally brought to a shrine a few days after birth, and many couples hold their wedding ceremonies there.

The following structures and objects can be typically found at a shrine:
Torii
One or more torii gates mark the approach and entrance to a shrine.
Komainu
Komainu are a pair of guardian dogs or lions, often found on each side of a shrine's entrance.
Purification trough
Found near the entrance, the water of these fountains is used for purification. You are supposed to clean your hands and mouth before approaching the main hall.
Main and offering hall
Depending on the shrine's architecture style, the main hall (honden) and offering hall (haiden) are two separate buildings or combined into one building. The main hall's innermost chamber contains the shrine's sacred object, while visitors make their prayers and offerings at the offering hall.
Ema
Shrine visitors write their wishes on these wooden plates and then leave them at the shrine in the hope that their wishes come true.
Omikuji
Omikuji are fortune telling paper slips found at many shrines and temples.