Japanese Religions

Every time I was asked “what is your religion?”, I was worried about the answer because I couldn’t answer correctly or I answered “I don’t have any religious” but this answer doesn’t make sense for the foreigners. I have been experienced the same situation many times before when I went to U.K. and U.S.

I think this is the one of the most difficult question for Japanese to answer. And I avoided answering this question because I can’t explain well even in Japanese.

Yesterday, I was asked the same question from my co-worker. I try to explain, but I can’t because I’m not so religious person basically and I’m not living with feeling my religious thing or praying.

However, there are many people in my office who believe Christ, they’re praying many times in a day from getting up until going to a bed.

What is god for you? Who made this world? Where were we from?

These are the typical question for Christians, so I know the answer that God made everything. And I can understand the feeling to believe it not fully but a little.

I answered for the question “what is your religion” that I don’t have any religious firstly. However, I reminisced by myself. We cerebrated Christmas and our funeral was held at a temple which is connected to Buddhism and went to shrine which is connected to Japanese traditional religion called “Shinto” especially on new year's day.

Temple for Buddhism

Shrine for Shinto

Therefore, I don't think I don’t have any religion any more. We Japanese believe a religion mixtured with mainly Buddhism and Shinto. And also we believe “yorozu-no-kami” which means many gods. We do not think about it all the time, but we do believe it in our own heart.

BUT I wonder how I can explain these feelings to her. I checked many blog or internet  and found good youtube finally.

You can watch this video with English sub tittles.
The following photo are the instruction for setting

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I complete agree with his opinion that we are tolerant for religion and the meanings of the religion is not for believing something but for respecting each other and living together peacefully and religion can helps us to do so.

Thanks to this video, some opinion from my friend and her effort for trying to understand my opinion , she could understand a little.

“Make sure more about own country or myself “  This is the one of the most typical thing that I’ve heard many times when I go to out of japan. I think I have to keep learning about my country and myself too.

Finally, I started to write my article in English too because I want them to know about many thing that I feel and think in this country. English readers sometime feel bad or I will lead misunderstanding because of a lack of my skill. I fully apologize if it happens. I will try to make my articles with prevention from those happenings.

Anyway, thank you so much for your reading.