In order to understand the different religions and the religious consciousness of the Japanese will begin by introducing the religions that have existed in Japan and explaining when they were popular and how this affected the individual within Japan.
The first religion that was worshipped in Japan was indigenous and was called Shinto. Shinto is usually translated as the ‘way of the gods’. It has evolved from the very beginnings of Japanese culture and it’s origins lie in the creation of Japan as a nation. Even to the modern day it remains philosophically and theologically unstructured compared to many other religions. The main goal of the religion appears to be an attempt to sustain the original features within Japan and to epitomise what it is like to be Japanese throughout the ages.
Many aspects of Shinto have been present throughout the ages within Japan and are considered to symbolise Japan and technically ‘be Japan’. However during the Tokugawa period in the years 1603-1868 Shinto was ‘ousted’ by the favoured Buddhism. Also, during this period the Shinto religion came to be associated with the restoration of imperial rule. When imperial rule was re-established with the Meiji Revolution of 1868 it was not defined merely as the official religion but as the national faith of Japan.
Throughout the ages before the 20th century religion had not played a major part in Japanese life but before the war it was viewed as a major reason for the bellicose and militaristic views of the Japanese nation. Shinto promoted a ‘fanatical belief in their innate superiority’ that many believe led to them forgetting their weaknesses and vulnerability during the war that had a profound effect on the society due to the defeat in World War II.
In modern day Japan few people consider themselves as Shinto due to the negative relationship that the religion has with the war. However, many people in Japan are still touched by the Shinto religion and it is considered to be, by the fact it aims to represent Japan as a whole, the religion that timelessly will epitomise Japan.
One of the other major religions in Japan throughout the pre modern and modern ages is that of Buddhism. It originated in India in the 6th century BC and developed and spread across the world over the next millennium before reaching Japan in the mid 6th century AD. It was originally introduced to Japan from China via Korea when Japan borrowed many Chinese features and cultures including the Chinese writing system. It mixed with Shinto and influenced many of the original features of Japanese civilisation. Initially, Buddhism was the religion and view of the upper classes that were impressed with its sophistication and grandeur. During the next six centuries due to its promotion by Japanese monks it became popular in the early 12th century because of its message of universal salvation.
In modern day Japan Buddhism is represented by numerous denominations and although it is not practiced or worshipped as much as it was before the 1800s many Japanese still consider themselves Buddhists because of historical family ties to temples or shrines. One practice that Buddhism is still most popular is the Buddhist burial practices. Although Buddhism is not a major religion in Japan in the modern era it is still considered to be at the heart of much Japanese life with its teachings and influences affecting Japanese people way of thinking and acting.
Another religion that has occurred in Japan is the Chinese ethical philosophy of Confucianism that entered Japan around the same time as Buddhism. It received its greatest support during the Tokugawa period when it was adopted as the official ethical philosophy of Japan. Confucianism is now rarely mentioned in modern day Japan except by scholars or teachers but much like Buddhism it is evident in the etiquette and protocol of Japanese society.
As Christianity is one of the world’s most popular religions it would be expected for it to be popular in Japan but Christianity is not and probably will not become a major religion in Japan. It is often viewed that it came to late to share with the other foreign religions within Japan. However, Christianity still has a major influence over Japanese culture due to the modern foreign influences and westernisation that has occurred. The department stores are decorated and prominently feature Christmas as well as many Christian schools being in operation. There is also such a demand for Christian wedding chapels and weddings that many hotels now have them built in to cater for the demand.
The major reason that it is considered that Christianity will not become a major religion is because it would be seen by the Japanese as turning their backs on traditional Japanese culture such as the Japanese ethos as shown in Shinto and the family as shown in Buddhism and Confucianism.
In conclusion, it appears that religion does affect the Japanese individual but in a subtle, less obvious way than their western counterpart. It seems that the religious beliefs that appear in the Japanese individual and the changes are ingrained in Japanese culture from birth. In this, it shows that not much has overly changed in religion since the original Shinto religion in the origins of Japan.
The second major point of change in Japan has been that of the family structure and role. Traditionally the Japanese family has been a large group of extended family and the family rather than the individual is considered to be the basic unit of society. The family continues to play an important part in Japanese society today. However, the modern family is not the same as the traditional family and has developed in relation to economic and social factors. It is still considered that a child growing up in a non-complete household does not have as good an upbringing as one with two parents. This shows the importance of family and how it is viewed as a vital part of society.
There have always been various forms of family in Japan but the traditional model has always been an agricultural household. In this household there was strict gender based role division and a hierarchy by birth. Another feature of this type of household was the stem feature in that one child would stay in the household, take over the family business and look after the parents. In a household you would often find much extended family such as grandparents. The most important role of the family was to preserve household resources and pass them on to the next generation while honouring the family ancestors.
In the late 1950s and 1960s there was a major change in the family set-up with the development of the so-called salary-man family. This type of family consisted of a wage earning husband who worked away from the family and a housewife who looked after the house and the children. The father was often away for six days a week and rarely saw his children leaving them lacking in a male role model. The husband and wife often led separate lives due to their social lives very rarely overlapping. This obviously had an affect on the family and caused many ‘dysfunctional’ family units within Japan at this time and changed the structure of family life for future generations. One of the major effects that this had on the children was the development of love marriages rather than miai marriages because of the idea of friendship with a spouse whom they would spend more time with.
Another result of this type of family was a decline in birth rates because of the lack of time husband and wife spent together and the time constraints that work and educating the children put on the husband and wife respectively.
In conclusion, it seems that the Japanese family model is in a transitional period from the traditional to the modern. It is unclear as to how this will affect the lives, as the family structure appears to be constantly changing although it does seem that the family members will have more rights and increased role variety because of the gender perception changes that are occurring in Japan.
The family changes are also heavily linked to that of the changing rights of women within Japanese society. The changing roles of women are another major social factor within Japan that is affecting the relationship between the state, society and the individual.
The traditional role of women has been to look after the home and the family. It was their role to look after the young, elderly, and the sick and to ensure that they were a good wife to their husband and a good mother to their children. In fact the Japanese word for wife ‘okusan’ means ‘inside person’ as in inside the home. However, although this is still the mentality more women are leaving the home and not sticking to the traditional stereotypes of Japanese culture.
There are now many Japanese women in high placed jobs with female held management positions doubling between 1977 and 1987. Also, after women became fed up with the scandals and corruption within Japanese politics they voted for a female to lead the main opposition party. Although these changes have changed the position within the social spectrum for some women the vast majority are still merely ‘office ladies’ who serve tea, run errands and answer phones.
Some of the laws of the country have also changed to ensure women have more rights. An example of this is the Equal Employment Opportunity Law that states that equal opportunities in hiring, training, and promotion be given to both men and women. The fact that the law is now favourable to women was shown in the first sexual harassment charge being brought in 1988. The advancements in law have continued to improve since 15 years ago.
However, despite the advancement there have been in women’s rights it is still considered a taboo area within Japanese culture. It is not only men but women as well who worry that a women’s liberation movement would threaten Japan’s traditional values and social structure and so the women do things to improve their rights in small amounts.
One example of the small steps that are taken to gradually improve women’s rights is the increased amount of part time work that Japanese women participate in. This may seem quite trivial but for the women it is a further step towards full freedoms and an equal standing to men. As of 1989, the number of women in part time work had quadrupled in the previous twenty years.
In conclusion, although women’s rights are improving there is still a long way to go before they have the same social standing and rights that the Japanese male population have. In relation to the state and society the increasing number of rights for women has resulted in many jobs that were previously unfilled within the economy being filled. This can only be a plus and helps the Japanese economy to grow and prosper that results in a better society for everyone. However, the effect that this has on society’s values will be a great but I feel that most of the changes that will occur can only be viewed as positive.
The last point that I would like to raise, as to what has changed in Japan over the last two centuries, is the more political and constitutional changes that have affected the state and the individual. The first major event that occurred in the years concerned was the beginning of a representative government forming. After years of campaigning by individuals and groups the Osaka Conference of 1875 resulted in the judiciary becoming independent and the reorganisation of the government. However, it was not until 1889 when the Constitution of the Empire of Japan was written that these writes were ensured and this was still very controversial. The new constitution created a government that was authoritarian in principal but the emperor still had most of the power and not much credence was given to the democratic process. This constitution would remain law until after the Second World War when the Allies helped to rewrite a very Westernised constitution.
This next constitution that was implemented in 1947 was a result of the Potsdam Conference. It was a change from Japan’s previous political process, although the final constitution was more of an amendment of the 1889 version than a total rewriting. The new constitution was based on the fundamental principles of Western democracy such as freedom of speech and freedom from persecution.
In a final conclusion of what has changed within Japan affecting the state, society and the individual it is apparent that many of the changes are a natural progression to more freedom of the individual rather than control by the state. This has occurred all around the world throughout the ages and although many systems have not kept the more democratic principles, it appears that Japan has although they may have been forced after the Second World War.
The lives of Japan’s citizens have certainly changed and I feel this is due to the increased integration with the Western and developed world after many trade barriers were forcibly remover by America in the lat 19th century. Although this may have had a negative affect initially I feel that it benefited the Japanese people as a whole. In conclusion, I feel that the increased Westernisation of Japan has brought about the changes that have affected many generations of Japanese people.