Standing Amida Nyorai
Kamakura period, 13th Century
Japanese religion is a seamless blend of traditions originating from teachings of early Buddhism and Shintoism. Although religion does not play a major role in the everyday life of the average Japanese, they do have a set of creeds and rituals that are practiced during specific events and on certain days of the year. A special custom or ritual is usually observed for occasions such as births, marriages, funerals, or visitations to Shinto shrines.
Matsuri, or Japanese festivals, originated from the Shinto religion. These festivals often symbolize hope for abundant rice production or spiritual health of the community. The festivals are often done inside a Shinto Shrine, or display some influence of a Shrine. Often these festivals can stretch for over several days. These usually include processions that bear an image of the local Kami, Shinto deity, through crowded streets as drums and flutes are played. The festivities vary with different localities, but they all have the same features: energy, noise, food, and exultation. This is an opportunity for all members of the community to celebrate a joyful occasion together.
Buddhism also plays a major role in Japanese religion. Buddhist priests oversee most funerals for family members in Japan. In addition to funeral rituals, the priests also perform rites during death day anniversaries as they are commemorated by the family of the deceased. A common saying in Japan is that the average Japanese person lives as a Shintoist, and dies as a Buddhist.
Mid-August marks the Bon Festival, also known as O-bon, an event that marks the annual visitation of departed ancestors to the surviving members of their family. This festival is characterized by visits to Buddhist temples and the decoration of alters of the departed. Days before the festival, ancestral graves are cleaned by family members in preparation for the return of the deceased family members’ souls. Many people also take this opportunity to return to their native towns to be with their families and to participate in the festivities that involve praying at temples and dancing.
The origins of Shintoism are still unknown, but scholars agree that it was influenced at least in part by the Chinese during the early years of trade between the two nations. Shamanic ceremonies and agricultural rites made a considerable impression on the early Japanese, and thus they assimilated it into their own culture as the years passed. Shintoism possesses neither sacred scriptures nor a definite founder. Those who follow this as a religion believe that Kami, spirits or Gods, are present everywhere and take the form of common objects or concepts. Some examples of Kami are those of fertility, wind, rain, and trees.
The arrival of Buddhism temporarily displaced Shintoism because the religion had a profound influence on the political, social, intellectual, and artistic ways of life in Japan. Finally, the two religions managed to co-exist and become intertwined as many Buddhists saw the Buddha manifesting as Kami. This complex syncretism between the two religions still strongly exists today in Japan.
