LibGuides: Shogunate Japan: Religion

Creation myth: Origin of Japan

Japan's oldest religion, dating back to prehistoric times, is Shinto. Shinto means 'the way of the gods'. It is based on the worship of nature and the gods, and on myths that were passed on verbally. Once a writing system had come to Japan from China, the myths were recorded.

The Three Teachings: Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism

Buddhism in Japan

A brief history of Buddhism in Japan
Buddhism is considered to have been officially introduced to Japan in A.D. 538 when the ruler of Baekje, a Korean kingdom, presented a brilliant image of the Buddha along with scripture-scrolls and ornaments to the Japanese Emperor Kimmei. In those days, Emperor Kimmei ruled Japan with his court nobles, and immediately controversy started over whether or not such a foreign cult should be accepted. The orthodox Mononobe and Nakatomi clans strongly opposed this new religion because Japan already had its traditional and indigenous religion of Shinto. But the influential Soga clan favoured Buddhism; they believed that it had much to offer for the enrichment of their culture. Thus in the end, despite the disputes that took place among the court nobles, the emperor deferred the matter to the Soga clan.
Buddhism during the Asuka era through to the Heian era
Detailed description of early Buddhism during the Asuka to Heian eras.
Pure Land and Zen Buddhism
Although Buddhism in Japan had major influences from China, it originally came to Japan from Korea when a gift of a Buddha image and copies of sutras were sent to the Japanese emperor in the 6th Century. Early Buddhism in Japan was very different than today, and at first formed an alliance with many of the existing Shinto groups. Over time, several schools of the Mahayana Buddhist philosophy evolved, but the main ones today are Pure Land and the Zen, both of which originally developed in China. A third school, the Nichiren group developed in most recent times and is based on the White Lotus Sutra teaching of the Buddha.
Four nobles truths
The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings. It was these four principles that the Buddha came to understand during his meditation under the bodhi tree.
Karma
Teachings about karma explain that our past actions affect us, either positively or negatively, and that our present actions will affect us in the future. Buddhism uses an agricultural metaphor to explain how sowing good or bad deeds will result in good or bad fruit.

The Bhavachakra, the 'Wheel of Life' or 'Wheel of Becoming', is a mandala - a complex picture representing the Buddhist view of the universe. To Buddhists, existence is a cycle of life, death, rebirth and suffering that they seek to escape altogether.
The Wheel is divided into five or six realms, or states, into which a soul can be reborn. It is held by a demon. Around the rim are depicted the twelve stages of dependent origination. This gallery will explain the parts of the diagram.

Christianity in Japan

Kirishitan: Christianity and the Japanese Shoguns
In the 16th century, European Christianity entered the Empire of Japan. It became such a threat to the social order that it was outlawed, Japanese Christians were massacred, and Japan closed itself off to the West for the next two and a half centuries.
Christians in 16th century Kyushi: A history
n 1543 the first Europeans arrived in Japan. Two (maybe three) Portuguese merchants aboard a Chinese ship were blown off course and forced to land on the island of Tanegashima, just south of Kyushu. Only six years later, the first Christian missionary came to Japan. What followed was, what some historians call, Japan’s “Christian century.” Despite 100 years of Christian dominance, today only about 1% of the Japanese population is Christian.