Have faith!

A semi-religious state

The beginning of January saw, as always, throngs of kimono-clad Japanese (and foreigners) descending upon local shrines and temples to ring in the new year. For days, television was awash with the sight of the faithful sipping warmed amazake (the sweet, slightly thicker version of regular sake), grabbing omikuji fortunes to find out their luck level for the rest of the year, and standing patiently in line for their chance to drop in a few coins, ring the temple bell and pray for success in the months to come.

The common saying goes that a Japanese is born into Shintoism, gets married in a Christian ceremony and then dies a Buddhist; a common statement is that "We Japanese aren't religious," leading one to believe that, perhaps, they are not. Author Inazo Nitobe wrote in his Bushido: The Soul of Japan, that it was Bushido (traditional Japanese "samurai spirit"), rather than religious instruction in school, that gave him moral guidance and "formed my notions of right and wrong"; the travel book Gateway to Japan denotes Shintoism - Japan's native religion, and, once upon a time, its official one - as "not so much a matter of personal belief as it is of being Japanese"; the religion itself "a set of customs to be followed more or less, but not to be pondered deeply."

How accurate is that, however? A glance at Japan today reveals a nation steeped in religion and worship, which may or may not come as a surprise.

One drizzly August morning in 2006, Junichiro Koizumi ascended the steps of Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine for the sixth and final time as Prime Minister of Japan. Bowing deeply before the shrine entrance, Koizumi completed his visit to Yasukuni ("Peaceful Nation") Shrine, and set off, yet again, burning outrage at home and abroad that has still not entirely calmed down. (Yasukuni is infamous for enshrining, among the innumerable other Japanese there, several Class-A war criminals responsible for World War II atrocities against Korea and China; Lower House member Koichi Kato spoke out against last August's visit, and, for his troubles, saw his home and assembly hall burnt to the ground by angry right-wingers.)

The speculation that the Koizumi's Yasukuni visits had nothing to do with religion (the Asahi Shimbun, frothing, described the visits as "deeply divisive" and "serious political mistakes") and everything to do with politics gained traction last month, when new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opted to visit Tokyo's Meiji Shrine early last month, instead of the contentious Yasukuni. "[Meiji] is a venerable shrine," Abe was quoted as saying. "Since this place is close to my home, I often come here."

Historically, Japan has had about as much luck with true "separation of church and state" as the United States has: good sentiment, but a slightly different story when the rubber meets the road. Buddhism, introduced to the nation in the early 6th century, had enough influence on ancient governments to entice massive projects like Nara's Todaiji Temple, for example; native Shintoism was transformed - somewhat ruinously - into the national religion in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, culminating in a very human Emperor imbued with semi-divine power. "To us the country is more than land and soil from which to mine gold or to reap grain," Nitobe wrote in Bushido. "It is the sacred abode of the gods, the spirits of our forefathers: to us … [The Emperor] is the bodily representation of Heaven on earth, blending in his person its power and its mercy."

Of course, Nitobe wrote Bushido well before the end of World War II, a period of time that saw the Emperor renounce his divinity, as well as (according to some) the nation itself renouncing its faith.

In a Japan Times editorial last month, commentator Roger Pulvers praised Japan as a country that could develop, post-war, "within a democratic system without the mumbo-jumbo of the god-botherers and the faith-pushers, free of the rhetoric of moralistic do-gooders with immoral ulterior motives.

"[Japan is] the world's leading, secular democracy," Pulvers also offered. Quite democratically, Japan has also embraced (to some extent, anyway) a number of foreign religions. There are active Muslim and Jewish groups in Kansai, and an enormous number of Christian churches scattered throughout the area (it was recently estimated that some 40 percent to 50 percent of all wedding ceremonies in Japan are "Western-style," in a church or chapel).

One such church group, the New Life Kyoto Church, welcomes locals with open arms. "Anyone is welcome [to join]," says New Life founder and senior pastor Julien Ogereau. "We invite people from any walks of life, social backgrounds, and nationalities to join our gatherings." For official membership into the group, New Life seeks "people to demonstrate a genuine passion and an evangelical faith in Jesus, and a real commitment to our congregation," Ogereau says.

However, "One does not need to be a Christian to connect and make friends at New Life Kyoto Church," Ogereau continues.

Though the Emperor is no longer regarded as divine and "I have no religion" is the answer frequently given by locals when asked what religion they respond to, the truth may be that few nations on earth are as awash in religiosity as Japan. When not traveling from house to house on mopeds, praying for the deceased and blessing the household shrines a third of all Japanese homes are said to have, Buddhist and Shinto priests busy themselves at groundbreaking ceremonies and purification rituals. (Most Japanese film productions hire a priest to bless the proceedings; Ring 2 director Hideo Nakata described it in an interview as a "traditional way of purification in Japan.") Traveling monks are a regular sight on the walkways; religious charms are a regular addition to purses and wallets.

Considering the innumerable religious ceremonies and festivals held through- out the year (if you haven't yet attended Nara's spectacular Omizutori festival, you get your chance early next month), as well as religion's involvement in Japanese government (for example, the Soka Gakkai Buddhist sect's heavy involvement in Japan's New Komeito political party), it is safe to say that religion is alive and well in the nation, despite protests to the contrary.

Cult(ural) Institutions?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines religion as a "belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe," as well as "a set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader."

Of course, some spiritual leaders, and values, are more valued than others - which are why Jim Jones's People's Temple, the Branch Davidians of David Koresh and the extremely unfortunate followers of Marshall Applewhite's Heaven's Gate group are looked upon with a great swell of pity (incredulity too, maybe). Officially, the difference between a cult and a religion is a bit of a sticking point; "a hundred years," an anonymous news editor once riffed; American author Tom Wolfe famously described a cult as a "religion with no political power." According to the Cult Hotline & Clinic, however, a cult is an organization "designed solely to advance its own goals, to abuse the members' trust, and to use fear and shame to manipulate the followers," all stemming from a leader who "claims to have an exalted position and to be above reproach."

A 2002 Time magazine article put the number of cults in Japan at somewhere around 2,000; all groups who serve as corrections for what the magazine described as Japan's "spiritual drift." Though peaceful by and large, some homegrown cults - such as the Life Space group, squashed in connection with the death of a 66-year-old company employee - have generated their share of controversy in recent years. The following are two of the best (or worst) examples.

Aum Shinrikyo: The Aum Shinrikyo ("universal truth") was started in Tokyo by Shoko Asahara in 1984, originally as a yoga meditation class, but evolving over time into an incorporation of many Buddhist traditions. Once the fastest-growing religious group in Japanese history, Aum won over thousands of Japanese in the ‘80s and ‘90s with its doctrine of self-healing, meditation, self-improvement and positive thinking. Point of Contention: Killing people. Though its popularity has waned dramatically, the group (now known as Aleph) lives on through the black notoriety it received from two events: the Matsumoto Incident, in which the group released sarin gas in the city of Matsumoto, killing seven and injuring hundreds; and 1995's Tokyo sarin gas attack, in which the group again released the toxin, this time into five crowded subway trains, killing 12 and injuring about a thousand. (Three Aum members are still wanted in connection with the event; ever seen those ‘Wanted' posters in train and subway stations? Those are the people.)

Mahikari: Founded by Yoshikazu (later changed to Kotama) Okada in 1963, Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan concerns spiritual healing and the "teaching of righteous law." "It is important for people to learn the possible causes that disturb health, harmony, and wealth," Okada was once quoted as saying. Established in the US as the World Divine Light Organization, Mahikari's presence throughout the world is on the increase; the group is probably most famous for the massive structure in Amagi that saw completion in 1987. Points of Contention: Accusations of brainwashing, severe indoctrination, usurpation of followers' money, as well as the as-yet unverified claims that Jesus Christ traveled throughout Japan and is buried in the Aomori Prefecture village of Herai (!), along with his twin brother (!!).

There are a number of other religious groups in Japan, like Tenchi Seikyo, Kenshokai and Tenrikyo, which have also had the cult label throw at them. While no religious group on earth is comp- letely free from accusations of wrong-doing (it's often said that the bigger the religion, the more wrong being done), it is safe to say that extremely charismatic people who encourage you to give them enormous sums of money (or, perhaps, kill people for them) are best avoided, no matter the religious stripe.

A number of "debunking" websites have been created in opposition to the above groups (mostly by former members) and can be easily found on Google.

Text: Jeff Lo • Photos: KS