Japanese
From Missiopedia
[edit] Japanese
- Population in Japan 122,179,000
- Main Religion: Buddhism, Sub-division: Mahayana
- About 90 million (69%) consider themselves Buddhists, and new Buddhist cults make up another 24% or 30.9 million. Religious freedom is granted by the constitution but nationalistic Shintoism is rising in power. Buddhism is strongly mixed with ancestor worship and other spiritistic beliefs. Extreme pressure to conform in society hinders people from acting freely and makes evangelism difficult. Religion does not directly affect the everyday life of the average Japanese very strongly but is felt at key points in life.
- Shintoism, the native religion of Japan, is rooted in animism and is polytheistic. In the sixth century, Buddhism was added to Japanese culture, and today most Japanese claim both sets of beliefs. These traditions, combined with those of Confucianism and Taoism, contribute to the most widely accepted religious principles in Japan:
- ancestor worship;
- religious practices centered on the use of prayer meditation;
- amulets and purification;
- close ties between religion, family, and nation; and
- a free exchange of ideas among religious systems.
- In all aspects – racially, ethnically, culturally – the Japanese comprise one of the most homogenous people groups in the world. Migrant groups such as the Brazilian Japanese have a difficult time fitting into the Japanese culture which prides itself on respecting that which is traditional and time-honored.
- You will find Japanese in 41 countries in the world, the largest numbers:
- Brazil 1,403,000, about 15 % are Christians
- United States of America 1,226,000
- South Korea 971,000
- Peru 132,000
- Canada 61,000
