Religion



Religion.

Many Japanese people say they are not devout worshipers and do not have strong religious beliefs. However, nearly everyone in Japanese society engages in some religious practices or rituals. Those practices are based on the two major religious traditions in Japan, Shinto and Buddhism.

Shinto means the way of the gods. It is the native religion of Japan and dates from prehistoric times. Shintoists worship many gods, called kami, that are found in mountains, rivers, rocks, trees, and other parts of nature. Shinto also involves ancestor worship.

In 1868, the Japanese government established an official religion called State Shinto. State Shinto stressed patriotism and the worship of the emperor as a divine being. The government abolished State Shinto after World War II, and the emperor declared he was not divine.

Today, fewer than 3 percent of Japanese practice strict traditional Shinto. But almost all Japanese perform some Shinto rituals. Many people visit Shinto shrines to make offerings of fruit, rice, prayers, and other gifts to the gods. In return, they may ask the gods for favors, such as the safe birth of a child, success on examinations, or good health. Japanese people typically invite Shinto priests to preside at weddings and to offer blessings for the New Year or for the construction of new buildings.

Buddhism came to Japan from India via China in the 500's. Buddhism has a more elaborate set of beliefs than Shinto, and it offers a more complicated view of humanity, the gods, and life and death. Generally, Buddhists believe that a person can obtain perfect peace and happiness by leading a life of virtue and wisdom. Buddhism stresses the unimportance of worldly things. Many Japanese turn to Buddhist priests to preside at funerals and other occasions when they commemorate the dead.

A variety of religious groups called New Religions developed in Japan during the 1800's and 1900's. Many of these religions combine elements of Buddhism, Shinto, and in some cases, Christianity. Japan also has a small number of Christians.

Martial Arts

Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport that still enjoys immense popularity today. It is considered Japan’s national sport and has a history spanning more than 1,000 years. In sumo, two wrestlers face each other in a ring. The wrestler who brings his opponent down to the ground or pushes him out of the ring is the winner. Professional sumo tournaments take place six times a year and last 15 days each.

Another traditional sport is kendo. In kendo, two fencers wearing protectors, including masks and chest guards, each hold a long bamboo sword and compete by attempting to strike the opponent’s mask or chest with the sword.

Yet another is aikido, a marital art in which an attack with bare hands or with a weapon, such as a sword or spear, is repulsed by utilizing the strength of the attacker against him or her.

Judo, which is now part of the official sports program at the Olympic Games, is also a traditional sport. In judo, two wrestlers compete with various throwing and grappling techniques. The key to overcoming an opponent lies in taking advantage of their strength.

Other traditional sports include karate, which came to Japan from China; Japanese archery, or kyudo, in which standing archers shoot arrows at a target with a long Japanese-style bow; and mounted archery, in which archers shoot at stationary targets from atop galloping horses.

Source of Information: Kids Web Japan ()

Traditional Performing Arts:

Kabuki is a form of classical theater that evolved in the early seventeenth century. It is characterized by the rhythm of the lines spoken by the actors, extravagant costumes, and flamboyant makeup (kumadori), and the use of mechanical devices to achieve special effects on stage. The makeup accentuates the personalities and moods of the characters. Most plays draw on medieval or Edo period themes, and all the actors, even those playing female roles, are men.

Noh is Japan’s oldest form of musical theater. The story is told not just through dialogue but also through utai (singing), hayashi (musical accompaniment), and mai (dance). Another feature is that the leading actor, dressed in a colorful costume of embroidered silk, usually wears a lacquered wooden mask. The masks depict such characters as an old man, a young or old woman, a divine figure, a ghost, and a young boy.

Kyogen is a type of classical comic theater that is performed with highly stylized actions and lines. It is staged between noh performances, although it is now sometimes performed in its own right.

Bunraku, which became popular around the end of the sixteenth century, is a kind of puppet theater that is performed to the accompaniment of narrative singing and music played on shamisen (a three-stringed instrument). Bunraku is known as one of the world’s most refined forms of puppet theater.

The Tea Ceremony

The tea ceremony involved preparing powdered tea for guests according to custom and enjoying its unique taste quietly and serenely. Influenced by Zen Buddhism, the tea ceremony seeks to purify the mind and attain oneness with nature. The four principles of the tea ceremony are harmony with oneself and others, respects a harmonious relationship with others, purity through cleaning yourself through the five senses, and tranquility or a sense of calm.

The ceremonial serving of tea used to be exclusively practiced by nobles and priests who gave it its original form around the middle of the fourteenth century. Its popularity gradually spread to wealthy merchants, warlords during the era of civil warfare, and their retainers.

The tea ceremony has been modified in many ways over the years. Until the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) it was practiced entirely by men; women joined in only after the beginning of the Meiji Era (1868-1912).

There are many schools of tea ceremony, including the three Senke schools of Ura, Omote, and Mushanokoji. They all uphold the spirit of the ceremony while observing their own distinctive styles of preparing and serving tea.

Source of Information: Kids Web Japan ()

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