Religious Traditions in Japan & Northeast Asia
The dominant religion in Japan is Shintoism. This religion is based on two mythological gods, Izanagi and Izanami, who gave birth to the Japanese islands and the Japanese people. Followers of Shintoism worship Kami – the mythical spirit that gives all things life and indwells all things.
The Kami-Dana is a shelf or altar in a home where the deity of the family is honored. There is also deep respect for ancestors. Historically, Shintoism helps explain Japan’s aggressive militarism, which is rooted in the belief that the Japanese are a divine people and destined to rule the world. In the years since World War II, Shintoism in Japan has been softened by elements of Confucianism and Buddhism.
Today, most Japanese follow at least some of the cultural traditions related to Shintoism, Buddhism, or a combination of both. At a minimum, families are encouraged to go to shrines and temples at least a couple times a year, especially around New Year’s — a time called hatsumode.
Although the Japanese people have been a spiritual people for centuries, it wasn’t until 1,500 years after Jesus Christ that Christianity first reached Japan. However, the emperors during the 16th and 17th centuries governed Japan with an iron fist. They maintained their power through military shoguns, where loyalty was prized above all. The shoguns adhered to a strict Samurai culture, where loyalty was celebrated even to the point of ritual suicide. Christianity represented a challenge to this loyalty, not only because it required faith in Jesus Christ, but also because conversion was seen as an act of submission to European powers.
In the late 16th century, the emperor called for the expulsion of all Christian missionaries. By the early 17th century, Catholic priests were commanded to leave Japan — and Japanese Christians were required to renounce their faith. The few missionaries who remained either managed to operate in secret or were executed. With each change of emperor during the period, brutal persecution only increased.
In 1612, there were an estimated 300,000 Christians in Japan. Less than two decades later, that number was cut in half. By 1644, the last remaining Catholic priest, the Japanese Jesuit Konoshi Mancio, was martyred in Osaka. Thereafter, it’s estimated that over 40,000 Japanese Christians were murdered for their faith between the 17th and 18th centuries. What was left of Christianity was totally driven underground. The followers of Jesus that remained worshipped in secret, becoming known as the “Hidden Christians.” Attempts to surface them were depicted in the movie Silence, based on the famous Shusako Endo novel. Tortures and executions during this time were truly horrendous.
The anti-Christian climate endured in Japan for 250 years. Finally, in the mid-19th century, the persecutions not only ended, but the formal ban on Christianity was over. Missionaries once again returned to the country. In addition to the Catholic Church, missionaries from other Christian churches also came to Japan. One Russian Orthodox priest was so revered that the Japanese emperor himself sent a bouquet to the priest’s funeral. Protestants arrived too — many of them American. They brought higher education, medical clinics, and the first Protestant literature published in Japanese.
The Christian faith spread throughout Japan until the beginning of the 20th century, when militant Shintoism underwent a major revival. Once again, Christian missionaries fled the country. By 1905, Japan occupied Korea. By 1935, the Gospel was nearly snuffed out in Northeast Asia.
After Japan’s defeat in World War II, Northeast Asia changed rapidly. With the help of the West, Japan rebuilt and became an economic powerhouse. By the late 20th century, the country was steeped in materialism and a hyper-loyal corporate culture. Japan was also considered one of the least-Christian countries in the world.
During the same period, two Koreas arose. North Korea was dominated by the Soviet Union – officially communist and anti-Christian. South Korea, on the other hand, fully opened its doors to free enterprise and Christianity. In fact, the first elected president of South Korea was a Christian. By the end of the 20th century, about 30% of South Korea was considered Christian.
Today, Northeast Asia is a tale of different nations. North Korea continues as a land of anti-Christian dictatorship and death. Japan is open to all religious faiths, but shows little interest in the Gospel right now. And South Korea is a country of widespread Christian growth – home to some of the largest churches in the world, now sending thousands of Christian missionaries throughout Northeast Asia and to the ends of the earth.
Religious Traditions in Japan & Northeast Asia
Randall acts as the lead writer for ColdWater’s Drive Thru History® TV series and Drive Thru History® “Adventures” curriculum.
Leave a Reply