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Religion And Rituals Of Life Across Japan

1589 Words7 Pages

2014 University of Limerick Daniel Goené 14079747 Erasmus JA4211 Assessor: B. Geragherty Words: 1590 MAGIC OR WAY OF LIFE? This paper contains information on the variety of religions and rituals that apply in daily life across Japan. It discusses various concepts such as Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, but also birth, death, and other important facets of life. Furthermore, it discusses the development and influence of these aspects in contemporary Japan. Introduction The country of Japan has undergone many changes over time, especially aspects such as religion and rituals in daily life have continued to exist but were adapted over the decades. But how exactly do these aspects have an impact on the life of a Japanese …show more content…

The earliest documentation dates back from 1868 where Shinto became officially formalized to match with Western religions (Columbia.edu, 2009) It went through many changes, especially after the second World War. However, while Shinto fulfills many roles in Japan, when it comes to dealing with the dead for example, the people focus on Buddhism, which is the second major religion in Japan. Buddhism got introduced to Japan during the 6th Century AD, which is very different than the original Indian interpretation of Buddhism, as the Japanese version comes from Chinese sages (Hendry, 2013). Due to the creation of different explanation of the aforementioned kami as Buddhas it is possible for Shinto and Buddhism to coexist without conflict, and sometimes even combined. The core concept of Buddhism is one that is difficult to explain in mere words, as it transcends the boundaries of the world we live in. One does not live one life, yet everyone does, this is the cycle of reincarnation (Tabata, 2010). Japanese people refer to their deceased relatives as ‘Buddhas’ and will ask for aid of a Buddhist priest to perform specific rites to ensures the safe journey of the soul. These memorials can be held even 60 years after the death of their ancestors. While these two religions are the major ones that also signify Japan for most Western people, there are several other religions that are present. Many different forms of folk religion exist and are usually practiced by small communities. One such practice is Shugendo, a form of shamanism within the mountains and concerns the departure of one’s physical body in search of a communication with the spiritual world. Furthermore, as mentioned before in the Shinto religion, many aspects of nature also have a religious meaning. Mountains for example, are seen as the path between heaven and earth and the home of spirits and

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