When foreigners ask the question, what is your religion? The Japanese are apt to reply with a lost look, Well! I guest I am a Buddhist… but actually I have not thought about religion seriously. Why this kind of reply? Do the Japanese actually have no interest in religion?

In present day Japan, there are various religions, but Shinto and Buddhism are the two major ones and have many believers. These two religions have deep influences upon the daily life, customs and seasonal activities, such as festivals of the Japanese. For instance, on New Year Day, Japanese go to the Buddhist temples or to the Shinto shrines for Hatsumode or New Year s Day worship and pray for good luck for the coming year. Wedding ceremonies and the rites performed when a child is born are mostly held according to Shinto rituals.

On the other hand, funeral rites and the equinoctial or Bon festival prayers, to appease the spirits of departed ancestors, are performed according to Buddhist religious rites. On this basis, it can be said that, in general, fortunate and happy events are celebrated in the Shinto religious way, while unfortunate and sad events in the Buddhist way. Ordinary Japanese, who do not even profess any religion, follow this practice.

According to one statistical survey, the Japanese have a low rate of interest in or devotion to religion on the world ranking scale. The survey, conducted by government over a twenty-year period, indicated that 65% - 75% of the Japanese do not profess any religion. Therefore, even if religious population is high, the majority may be believers in name only. There are a few real believers but many people have interest and participate in religious rituals and practices, this is the relationship between the Japanese of today and religion.