Religion in Japan is culturally related. Most Japanese practice aspects of the ancient religion of Japan, Shintoism which is based on the worship of nature; as well as Buddhism which was introduced to Japan from China during the 6th century

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, Buddhist temple bells ring throughout Japan and on New Year’s Day many Japanese make pilgrimages to both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The Obon festival is a popular Buddhist tradition in which Japanese honor their ancestors. There are also hundreds of Shinto festivals which take place throughout the year celebrating such things as the rice planting and harvest seasons.

Christianity was introduced by Spanish missionaries in the mid-sixteenth century – most notably was Francisco Xavier who arrived in Kagoshima, Japan in 1549. According to the CIA World Factbook, 84% of Japanese observe both Shintoism and Buddhism and 16% observe other religions with the largest percentage being Christianity at 0.7%.

Buddhism (Bukkyo) was first brought to Japan from Korea and China early in the sixth century. While there are many different sects of Buddhism practiced in Japan today, most Japanese are not religious. Buddhism’s greatest influence has been in terms of shaping the culture, customs and traditions of Japan.



Shinto is the ancient religion of Japan which dedicates itself to the worship of all things in nature. Rocks, streams, plants etc. are all ruled by their respective god or “kami.” “Shin” means god and “to” means way so “Shinto” means the way of the gods. According to legend, Japans first emperor, Jimmu Tenno (jimmu means "divine warrior" and tenno means "heavenly") ascended the throne in 660 B.C. Traditionally, the emperor was considered a divine entity and it is also loosely believed that the reigning emperor is a direct descendant of Jimmu Tenno. To this day, most Japanese participate in Shinto traditions including the many seasonal festivals which take place throughout the country.



Zen is a sect of Buddhism which was introduced to Japan from China over 800 years ago. It focuses on peace, harmony and discipline and provided the basis for Japanese aesthetics as witnessed in traditional arts such as the tea ceremony, ikebana, sumi-e and shodoh.