Life Meets Faith: Japan, State Shinto and Christianity
If Japan was not on the radar for you a
week or two ago, it certainly is now.
Hopefully, by the time you read this the reactor
fires in the country will have been
brought under control and people will be
returning to their homes. Of course, many
have no homes to return to, and there will be,
sadly, many bodies to take up and to be
given funeral rites.
Japan is often seen as a modern country where traditional religious perspectives are being overtaken by secular lifestyles. For example, until World War II the literal worship of the Japanese Emperor was a common feature of national life. State Shinto, as it is known, was banned following the war. No doubt there was a connection between the worship of the emperor and the fanatical devotion of Japanese combatants resulting in, among other things, the phenomenon of Kamakazi attacks (such as those where pilots crashed their bomb-laden planes into American warships). Not that America did nothing to provoke the Japanese against them.
However, the religious landscape of Japan is the result of more forces than those of Shintoism and modern secularism. Christianity is a player, though a minor one at present, in Japanese society.
The Canadian Presbyterian church, for example, helped found the Korean Christian churches in Japan (I realize that sounds odd). For years, Presbyterian missionaries Beth and Jack McIntosh fought to end a law forcing all foreigners to be fingerprinted, thus assisting the country to better uphold human rights for all within its borders.
Most Japanese do not know this, but the date usually given for Christianity's first contact with Japan is 1549. Some historians believe that Christian missionaries arrived as early as 199 A. D. and that the first churches were organized about 200 years later (which, admittedly means very slow development of the Christian tradition there).
According to the website of Overseas Missions Fellowship, a Christian missionary organization, Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest, arrived in Japan in 1549. "His stamina, zeal and willingness to suffer resulted in thousands of conversions in just two short years."
Not long aftewards, however, Christian leaders began to align themselves with powerful rulers called Shoguns. This (un- Christian) strategy backfired when the shoguns were persuaded that Christianity was a destructive foreign influence on their people. The resulting conflicts, compounded by other factors, resulted in 280,000 Christians being persecuted and killed according to OMF.
Christianity was banned from the country in 1629 and it was not until the middle of the 1800s that missionaries were once again permitted into the country. In recent times, the percentage of the population that is Christian has remained extremely low, around one per cent.
Nevertheless, Christians are able to demonstrate a faith of creativity, compassion and justice within the Japanese context. OMF reports that the novels of Christian author, Ayako Miura, are read by many. In the aftermath of the earthquakes and tsunami that have killed and injured many, the organization is working with CRASH (crashjapan. com) to assist Christians in Japan who are providing relief.
Finally, OMF reports the emergence of "VIP Clubs." Here, Christian businesspersons meet to address the needs of their highly stressed colleagues. They meet to pray and to network in hotels and places of business. It would seem that there are many opportunities today for them and others who share their view of life to help many throughout the country.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Japan is often seen as a modern country where traditional religious perspectives are being overtaken by secular lifestyles. For example, until World War II the literal worship of the Japanese Emperor was a common feature of national life. State Shinto, as it is known, was banned following the war. No doubt there was a connection between the worship of the emperor and the fanatical devotion of Japanese combatants resulting in, among other things, the phenomenon of Kamakazi attacks (such as those where pilots crashed their bomb-laden planes into American warships). Not that America did nothing to provoke the Japanese against them.
However, the religious landscape of Japan is the result of more forces than those of Shintoism and modern secularism. Christianity is a player, though a minor one at present, in Japanese society.
The Canadian Presbyterian church, for example, helped found the Korean Christian churches in Japan (I realize that sounds odd). For years, Presbyterian missionaries Beth and Jack McIntosh fought to end a law forcing all foreigners to be fingerprinted, thus assisting the country to better uphold human rights for all within its borders.
Most Japanese do not know this, but the date usually given for Christianity's first contact with Japan is 1549. Some historians believe that Christian missionaries arrived as early as 199 A. D. and that the first churches were organized about 200 years later (which, admittedly means very slow development of the Christian tradition there).
According to the website of Overseas Missions Fellowship, a Christian missionary organization, Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest, arrived in Japan in 1549. "His stamina, zeal and willingness to suffer resulted in thousands of conversions in just two short years."
Not long aftewards, however, Christian leaders began to align themselves with powerful rulers called Shoguns. This (un- Christian) strategy backfired when the shoguns were persuaded that Christianity was a destructive foreign influence on their people. The resulting conflicts, compounded by other factors, resulted in 280,000 Christians being persecuted and killed according to OMF.
Christianity was banned from the country in 1629 and it was not until the middle of the 1800s that missionaries were once again permitted into the country. In recent times, the percentage of the population that is Christian has remained extremely low, around one per cent.
Nevertheless, Christians are able to demonstrate a faith of creativity, compassion and justice within the Japanese context. OMF reports that the novels of Christian author, Ayako Miura, are read by many. In the aftermath of the earthquakes and tsunami that have killed and injured many, the organization is working with CRASH (crashjapan. com) to assist Christians in Japan who are providing relief.
Finally, OMF reports the emergence of "VIP Clubs." Here, Christian businesspersons meet to address the needs of their highly stressed colleagues. They meet to pray and to network in hotels and places of business. It would seem that there are many opportunities today for them and others who share their view of life to help many throughout the country.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
