In the previous post, we have seen how shrines and festivals are closely connected to the daily lives of Japanese people. In this post, I will discuss the relationship between Sensoji Temple and Asakusa Shrine, which I introduced in the Sanja Festival post. As we have already told you, the origin of the Sanja Festival is that “once a year, the three deities enshrined by the shrine spend the night with Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) in the main hall of Sensoji Temple, then ride on a portable shrine to see the city.” This close relationship between shrines and temples can be seen throughout the country, and cases of shrines on or adjacent to temple grounds, and temples also on or adjacent to shrine grounds, can be seen here and there.
The coexistence of two different religions, Shinto and Buddhism, may seem strange to people from other countries. This requires an understanding of traditional Japanese culture and history.
Syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism unique to Japan
Japan originally had indigenous beliefs, which are considered to be the origin of Shintoism. This is nature worship or ancestor worship, in which people believe that gods dwell in natural objects such as mountains, oceans, forests, trees, and rocks, and they also cherish the spirits of their ancestors and pray for the well-being of the community. It can be said that there is no specific guru or strict doctrine, but rather a spontaneous gathering and formalization of various people's beliefs. For this reason, it is characterized by a very high level of tolerance.
In the 6th century, Buddhism was introduced to Japan as a foreign religion. During this period, there was a fierce struggle between the Soga and Mononobe clans, but as a result, Buddhism became the de facto national religion based on the concept that Buddhism protects the nation. The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in Nara, which you are familiar with, is a typical example of such a structure. Later, from the Heian to Kamakura periods, the idea that Japanese deities were manifestations of Buddhas from the Buddhist tradition flourished, and there were examples of shrines being built within the grounds of temples and vice versa, such as the Senso-ji temple and Asakusa shrine mentioned at the beginning of this article.
Furthermore, there were instances in which the “guardian deities,” the deities considered in Buddhism to protect Buddhism and its followers, came to be enshrined at shrines. A typical example is Daikokuten, one of the seven gods of good fortune. To begin with, Daikokuten was Mahakala, one of the deities of the Hindu god Shiva, who was a destructive god with a wrathful aspect. Later, Mahakala was introduced to Japan as Daikokuten, the Buddhist god of protection, and through the syncretism of Shintoism and Buddhism, he came to be equated with Okuninushi no Mikoto, the god of fortune and good fortune with a plump and smiling face. The generosity of Japanese people's faith can be clearly seen in this image.
Two crises occurred in the modern era
Shinto and Buddhism were thus practiced almost as one until the Edo period (1603-1867), but in the modern era, they faced two crises. The first was the abolition of Buddhism initiated by the Meiji government, and the second was the Shinto directive imposed by the GHQ.
In 1868, the Meiji government, which had been established as a result of the Great Restoration of Japan to the Emperor, launched the “Shintoism-Buddism Separation Policy,” which triggered the movement to abolish Buddhism throughout the country. It is said that temples and Buddhist statues were destroyed in various places, and the number of national treasures lost as a result was countless. Although the Meiji government denied that the “separation of Shinto and Buddhism” did not mean the suppression of Buddhism, it is said that the movement, which gained momentum against a background of social unrest and discontent at the time, was not completely ended until around 1876.
The second was the crisis surrounding the Shinto Directive issued by GHQ on December 15, 1945. GHQ was predominantly of the opinion that Shinto was the same as Nazism in Germany, and that Shinto was the root of nationalism and militarism and should be abolished. The “Shinto Directive” led to the abolition of state Shinto, the thorough separation of politics and religion, and the conversion of Shinto to a private religion, leading to the separation of politics and religion in today's Japanese Constitution. Whether or not what GHQ described as “national Shinto” had any real political power is a matter of debate in the first place. However, it is as a matter of fact that Shinto has continued to be a deeply rooted faith in the lives of the Japanese people until today.
Shinto is at the root of Japanese culture's tolerance
This post is not intended to be a religious debate, so I will not comment further on the two crises, but I can say with certainty that religion has rarely intervened in political struggles or wars in Japan. Since the Taika Reformation of 645, which was a power struggle against the backdrop of the introduction of Buddhism, the only past examples are the arming of Buddhist forces during the age of Civil Wars period (Ishiyama Honganji and Enryakuji temples) and the banning of Christianity by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after he expelled Christian missionaries (the Bateren expulsion order). Both were periods of social turmoil, and the banning and expulsion of Christianity was a security policy to prevent attempts by Catholic forces to colonize Japan using proselytizing as a means to achieve their goals. It is fair to say that there have been no purely religious wars or conflicts in Japan's history.
Behind this uniquely Japanese cultural tolerance has always been the ancient Japanese Shinto religion, and these traditions are still preserved in Japanese society today. （To be continued in next article）
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