{"id":9654,"date":"2017-08-08T06:32:13","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T10:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/?p=9654"},"modified":"2025-06-24T09:56:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T13:56:01","slug":"japanandreligion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/","title":{"rendered":"Enshrined Confusion?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Kinkakuji in Kyoto- home to 2,000 Temples & Shrines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Is Japan a Religious Country?<\/h4>\n

Let\u2019s start with yes. An estimated \u00a080,000 + Shinto shrines exist in Japan not to mention Buddhist temples. For comparison purposes churches in the UK number around 37,000.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI see that in every way you are very religious\u201d<\/h4>\n

Words uttered by St. Paul as he looked at the city of Athens. What would he have thought of Japan?\u00a0After all many Japanese houses contain \u201cKamidana\u201d or \u201ckami-shelves\u201d – mini altars designed to house a Shinto kami or god. In 2009 a survey showed 43% of Japanese homes had one.<\/p>\n

This is a quite impressive public display of religiosity. Add to this the fact that some households also contain an additional \u201cButsudan\u201d (Buddhist Altar) and the figures increase. But why would a Japanese household contain both a shrine and an altar?<\/p>\n

When the Agency for Cultural Affairs asked the people of Japan in 2006 which of them belonged to religious groups \u00a0an overwhelming 209 million people replied in the affirmative! Now, this is where it gets tricky. The numbers were equivalent to twice the Japanese population at that time.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo by Julia Caesar, Stocksnap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An Inherent contradiction?<\/h4>\n

Not so for the Japanese. Most people don\u2019t see themselves as adherents to a single religion and although the official amalgamation of Buddhism & Shinto known as \u795e\u4ecf\u7fd2\u5408 (Shinbutsu Shugo) ended in 1886 it still continues in practice.<\/p>\n

Even aspects of Christianity have \u00a0been gathered into the mix. While Easter remains an enigma the Japanese celebrate Christmas, Valentine\u2019s Day and even the non-Christian Halloween. But little concern and even less thought is given to the origins and meaning of these events. Certainly on a commercial level they can be deemed a success. On Christmas Day the nationwide tradition of tucking down to a chicken bucket from KFC in place of a turkey dinner is a prime example.<\/p>\n

Japanese can be born in accordance with Shinto rites, married in a Christian church and buried by Buddhist rites.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo by Redd Angelo, Stocksnap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But does that make Japan religious?<\/h4>\n

It certainly stands in stark contrast to, for example, the Roman Catholic church’s claim to be the only true church. \u00a0Discussion of doctrine or of waging war on sin is non-existent. Japan\u2019s relationship with its gods seems to be superficial. More a case of the gods serving the people\u2019s needs than the other way around.<\/p>\n

So is Japan in fact a predominantly atheist country?<\/h4>\n

Let\u2019s start with yes.<\/p>\n

Very few Japanese people believe the Shinto gods of Japan\u2019s national religion are real and divine. However they do outwardly worship them by participating in annual events & ceremonies. The majority have never even questioned that as being odd.<\/p>\n

Religion is practiced freely in Japan but other restrictions apply- public schools are not allowed to teach religion by law. In another poll one-third of Japanese people described themselves as \u201cconvinced atheists\u201d. \u00a0Which argument does this actually back up? For or against the Japanese being religious?<\/p>\n

History of religion in Japan<\/h4>\n

China has long had a leavening effect on religious thought in Japan and shared the Japanese concept of ancestor worship. The Nihongi completed in 720 AD is a document which chronicles Japanese traditions and even helped give Japan its name \u201cNippon\u201d. In every other aspect of its composition however it takes the form of a Chinese history.<\/p>\n

Acknowledged as mythology it has been used to trace the lineage of the Japanese imperial family back to the sun goddess Amaterasu. But as a myth it has proven hard to counter and has \u00a0surprisingly stood the test of time and can still be considered a Shinto text of sorts.<\/p>\n

Buddhism<\/h4>\n

Introduced to Japan around 552 Buddhism slowly gained ascendancy and gained widespread influence by the 9th<\/sup> century. \u00a0In the 9th century, Kukai, founder of the Shingon sect adapted Buddhist doctrines to the existing ideas of ancestor worship and the Shinto kami (gods) were explained away as incarnations of Buddha- and so began what is now referred to as Shingon syncretism. A co-joining of aspects of all belief systems prevalent at the time.<\/p>\n

Tourists who wish to delve further into this should visit Mt. Koya in the Wakayama Prefecture where Kukai build his temple in a then hidden valley. \u00a0The official de-coupling of the religions in the 18th century was however not a clean break.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A Japanese Hidden Valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Confused?<\/h4>\n

So where does Confucianism fit into all of this. Promoted as an official ideology under the Tokugawa regime in the 17th<\/sup> century the Confucian code of moral ethics had long before then influenced the Japanese mind \u2013 and some would argue even until the present day. Edwin Reischauer, a Harvard Professor in Japanese studies contends that Confucianism probably has more influence on the Japanese today than any of the traditional religions or philosophies. I must mention however that I have never met or heard of a Japanese person claiming to be Confucian.<\/p>\n

The Tokugawa were obsessed with edicts, decrees and prohibitions and Japan was governed by shame which ensured loyalty. As such a huge focus was placed on loyalty to one’s group. That rings a bell.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s certainly true that even today the Japanese group-consciousness excludes the outsider to a great degree. There is no provision for the outsider who can be easily ignored- the plight of Tokyo\u2019s homeless comes to mind.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s hard to be sure about anything. After all the Japanese are also naturally hospitable and kind to those they meet. Japan has shown itself to be susceptible to foreign influence \u00a0over the centuries. Shinto, Confucianism and Buddhism have been mixing for over a thousand years. So what is the truth?<\/p>\n

The Holy Trinity<\/h4>\n

One scholar has suggested that the Japanese are at once a Shinto, Confucian and Buddhists. Shinto provides the sacred objects, Confucianism the rules and Buddhism the way of salvation. But is that religion or confusion?<\/p>\n

Shinto Revival<\/h4>\n

Despite the old Shinto religion being revived in the 18th<\/sup> century and the focus put back on emperor worship how can anyone be sure what was revived? If the concept of Japanese religion is based on race and national patriotism alone does that even make it a religion? Perhaps it is a case once more of the gods serving the needs of men rather than the other way round.<\/p>\n

My only suggestion to you is you do what I do and ask your Japanese friends. I am pretty sure you won\u2019t be able to provide a closing summary of the above but if you can by all means. Just do me a favour and capture their reaction on your Mobal SIM and post it here \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is Japan a Religious Country? Let\u2019s start with yes. An estimated \u00a080,000 + Shinto shrines exist in Japan not to mention Buddhist temples. For comparison purposes churches in the UK number around 37,000. \u00a0\u201cI see that in every way you are very religious\u201d Words uttered by St. Paul as he looked at the city of Athens. What would he have thought of Japan?\u00a0After all many Japanese houses contain \u201cKamidana\u201d or \u201ckami-shelves\u201d – mini altars designed to house a Shinto kami or god. In 2009 a survey showed 43% of Japanese homes had one. This is a quite impressive public display of religiosity. Add to this the fact that some households also contain an additional \u201cButsudan\u201d (Buddhist Altar) and the figures increase. But why would a Japanese household contain both a shrine and an altar? When the Agency for Cultural Affairs asked the people of Japan in 2006 which of them belonged to religious groups \u00a0an overwhelming 209 million people replied in the affirmative! Now, this is where it gets tricky. The numbers were equivalent to twice the Japanese population at that time. An Inherent contradiction? Not so for the Japanese. Most people don\u2019t see themselves as adherents to a single religion and although the official amalgamation of Buddhism & Shinto known as \u795e\u4ecf\u7fd2\u5408 (Shinbutsu Shugo) ended in 1886 it still continues in practice. Even aspects of Christianity have \u00a0been gathered into the mix. While Easter remains an enigma the Japanese celebrate Christmas, Valentine\u2019s Day and even the non-Christian Halloween. But little concern and even less thought is given to the origins and meaning of these events. Certainly on a commercial level they can be deemed a success. On Christmas Day the nationwide tradition of tucking down to a chicken bucket from KFC in place of a turkey dinner is a prime example. Japanese can be born in accordance with Shinto rites, married in a Christian church and buried by Buddhist rites. But does that make Japan religious? It certainly stands in stark contrast to, for example, the Roman Catholic church’s claim to be the only true church. \u00a0Discussion of doctrine or of waging war on sin is non-existent. Japan\u2019s relationship with its gods seems to be superficial. More a case of the gods serving the people\u2019s needs than the other way around. So is Japan in fact a predominantly atheist country? Let\u2019s start with yes. Very few Japanese people believe the Shinto gods of Japan\u2019s national religion are real and divine. However they do outwardly worship them by participating in annual events & ceremonies. The majority have never even questioned that as being odd. Religion is practiced freely in Japan but other restrictions apply- public schools are not allowed to teach religion by law. In another poll one-third of Japanese people described themselves as \u201cconvinced atheists\u201d. \u00a0Which argument does this actually back up? For or against the Japanese being religious? History of religion in Japan China has long had a leavening effect on religious thought in Japan and shared the Japanese concept of ancestor worship. The Nihongi completed in 720 AD is a document which chronicles Japanese traditions and even helped give Japan its name \u201cNippon\u201d. In every other aspect of its composition however it takes the form of a Chinese history. Acknowledged as mythology it has been used to trace the lineage of the Japanese imperial family back to the sun goddess Amaterasu. But as a myth it has proven hard to counter and has \u00a0surprisingly stood the test of time and can still be considered a Shinto text of sorts. Buddhism Introduced to Japan around 552 Buddhism slowly gained ascendancy and gained widespread influence by the 9th century. \u00a0In the 9th century, Kukai, founder of the Shingon sect adapted Buddhist doctrines to the existing ideas of ancestor worship and the Shinto kami (gods) were explained away as incarnations of Buddha- and so began what is now referred to as Shingon syncretism. A co-joining of aspects of all belief systems prevalent at the time. Tourists who wish to delve further into this should visit Mt. Koya in the Wakayama Prefecture where Kukai build his temple in a then hidden valley. \u00a0The official de-coupling of the religions in the 18th century was however not a clean break. Confused? So where does Confucianism fit into all of this. Promoted as an official ideology under the Tokugawa regime in the 17th century the Confucian code of moral ethics had long before then influenced the Japanese mind \u2013 and some would argue even until the present day. Edwin Reischauer, a Harvard Professor in Japanese studies contends that Confucianism probably has more influence on the Japanese today than any of the traditional religions or philosophies. I must mention however that I have never met or heard of a Japanese person claiming to be Confucian. The Tokugawa were obsessed with edicts, decrees and prohibitions and Japan was governed by shame which ensured loyalty. As such a huge focus was placed on loyalty to one’s group. That rings a bell. It\u2019s certainly true that even today the Japanese group-consciousness excludes the outsider to a great degree. There is no provision for the outsider who can be easily ignored- the plight of Tokyo\u2019s homeless comes to mind. But it\u2019s hard to be sure about anything. After all the Japanese are also naturally hospitable and kind to those they meet. Japan has shown itself to be susceptible to foreign influence \u00a0over the centuries. Shinto, Confucianism and Buddhism have been mixing for over a thousand years. So what is the truth? The Holy Trinity One scholar has suggested that the Japanese are at once a Shinto, Confucian and Buddhists. Shinto provides the sacred objects, Confucianism the rules and Buddhism the way of salvation. But is that religion or confusion? Shinto Revival Despite the old Shinto religion being revived in the 18th century and the focus put back on emperor worship how can anyone be sure what was revived? If the concept of Japanese religion is based on race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":9663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[239],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living-in-japan"],"yoast_head":"\nJapanese Religion Blending Shrines Temples Confucian ideals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can Japanese who subscribe to Christian, Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian ideals be considered religious and do the shrines and temples mean something deeper?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Japanese Religion Blending Shrines Temples Confucian ideals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Can Japanese who subscribe to Christian, Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian ideals be considered religious and do the shrines and temples mean something deeper?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mobal Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/seibojapan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-08-08T10:32:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-24T13:56:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"401\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Declan Somers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Declan Somers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Declan Somers\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ccea2a2fb353f757b411bc7676105cf9\"},\"headline\":\"Enshrined Confusion?\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-08T10:32:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-24T13:56:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1146,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Life In Japan\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/\",\"name\":\"Japanese Religion Blending Shrines Temples Confucian ideals\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-08T10:32:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-24T13:56:01+00:00\",\"description\":\"Can Japanese who subscribe to Christian, Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian ideals be considered religious and do the shrines and temples mean something deeper?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg\",\"width\":600,\"height\":401},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/living-in-japan\\\/japanandreligion\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Enshrined Confusion?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mobal Blog\",\"description\":\"A Community for Mobal World Phone travelers that features how-to guides, travel hints, tips, tricks and much more.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Mobal Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/09\\\/logo-est-date-new1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/09\\\/logo-est-date-new1.png\",\"width\":184,\"height\":110,\"caption\":\"Mobal Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ccea2a2fb353f757b411bc7676105cf9\",\"name\":\"Declan Somers\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6605a7fc853763294855df70f8fcfa1e4f179d8f37d6cd0e6389d969034a43bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6605a7fc853763294855df70f8fcfa1e4f179d8f37d6cd0e6389d969034a43bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6605a7fc853763294855df70f8fcfa1e4f179d8f37d6cd0e6389d969034a43bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Declan Somers\"},\"description\":\"Thanks to the people of Japan and the efforts of a UK-based telecoms company Mobell\\\/Mobal am happy to assist in providing a hot school meal daily for kids in Malawi, Africa through a Japanese registered NGO- Seibo.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mobal.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/seibojapan\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Japanese Religion Blending Shrines Temples Confucian ideals","description":"Can Japanese who subscribe to Christian, Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian ideals be considered religious and do the shrines and temples mean something deeper?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Japanese Religion Blending Shrines Temples Confucian ideals","og_description":"Can Japanese who subscribe to Christian, Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian ideals be considered religious and do the shrines and temples mean something deeper?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/","og_site_name":"Mobal Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/seibojapan\/","article_published_time":"2017-08-08T10:32:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-24T13:56:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":401,"url":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Declan Somers","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Declan Somers","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/"},"author":{"name":"Declan Somers","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ccea2a2fb353f757b411bc7676105cf9"},"headline":"Enshrined Confusion?","datePublished":"2017-08-08T10:32:13+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-24T13:56:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/"},"wordCount":1146,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg","articleSection":["Life In Japan"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/","name":"Japanese Religion Blending Shrines Temples Confucian ideals","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg","datePublished":"2017-08-08T10:32:13+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-24T13:56:01+00:00","description":"Can Japanese who subscribe to Christian, Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian ideals be considered religious and do the shrines and temples mean something deeper?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/StockSnap_B9KJIPURCF.jpg","width":600,"height":401},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/living-in-japan\/japanandreligion\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Enshrined Confusion?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/","name":"Mobal Blog","description":"A Community for Mobal World Phone travelers that features how-to guides, travel hints, tips, tricks and much more.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Mobal Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/logo-est-date-new1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/logo-est-date-new1.png","width":184,"height":110,"caption":"Mobal Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ccea2a2fb353f757b411bc7676105cf9","name":"Declan Somers","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6605a7fc853763294855df70f8fcfa1e4f179d8f37d6cd0e6389d969034a43bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6605a7fc853763294855df70f8fcfa1e4f179d8f37d6cd0e6389d969034a43bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6605a7fc853763294855df70f8fcfa1e4f179d8f37d6cd0e6389d969034a43bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Declan Somers"},"description":"Thanks to the people of Japan and the efforts of a UK-based telecoms company Mobell\/Mobal am happy to assist in providing a hot school meal daily for kids in Malawi, Africa through a Japanese registered NGO- Seibo.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.mobal.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/seibojapan\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9654"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9668,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9654\/revisions\/9668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}