Q: Why are there very few Christians in Japan?
Japan is located in Far East from U.S. or Europe. Therefore you may think it is natural there are not so much Christians in Japan. But, compared with other countries near Japan, the Christian population is very small. For example, the rate of Christian people in Korea is much larger than that in Japan. It does not mean Christian people in Japan have been lazy to propagate their religion. Rather, after World War 2, many people have endeavored to spread Christianity. Nevertheless, recently other new religions like Soka Gakkai, Moonies or Jehovas Witness grow more rapidly than traditional Christianity.
If you learn Japanese history, you will find unfortunate history for Christianity. Since Francisco de Xavier had begun to propagate Christianity in 1549, once his intention seemed succeed. But after the prohibition of Christianity, during national isolation in Edo period, Japanese Christian people disappeared or, even if some of them kept their faith, it became very transformed. Mr. Shuusaku Endou who is a famous Japanese novelist commented that Japanese did not accept it in its original sense and transformed it by Japanese traditional religion, especially by Jodo Buddhism. I agree with his opinion. Actually, we can find many Jodo temples in Gotou area where there were many Christians.
Japanese is not familiar with the idea of unique God who creates the world itself. In fact, Hakuseki Arai who is famous scholar in Edo period pointed out it is very strange that western people believe in God who created the world though they had much knowledge about world. For western people it may natural to image God to create the world as the cause of it itself but for Japanese it is very strange, because for them the world should grow by itself.
And also Japanese dislike the God who excludes other gods because this exclusionism will cause trouble among people. Japanese people respect the spirit of WA (harmony) which avoids trouble. I guess it is the most important reason why Christianity is not accepted in Japan. Many Japanese people considered the cause of civil wars found in our world is the difference of religions as well as that of race. I do not think the idea of God is not the cause of civil wars but think, on the other hand, Christian people as well as Muslim should be more tolerant to others.
These are the answer to the above question. But behind them there is the historical background that is very special in Japan. It is Japanese has no experience to be invaded by other races or people in a group, even if many people came into Japan individually. Japanese have not experienced to coexist with other people who have different language, custom or religion. World religions like Christianity provide us stable basis for communication among different people by preparing the myth of the creation of world. These religions guarantee us equal chance to be salved regardless race. But Japanese have not felt the necessity of this common basis for communication.
And also because they have not troubled with the
crisis of human communication among various races or peoples, they trust
other familiar people too much. They tend to think they know other familiar
personfs mind immediately. Then if his children or familiar company has
stable faith that he do not share, he will feel stable wall to communicate.
I regard it is the reason why Japanese old government prohibited Christianity.
In those days this wall brought some anxiety to Christians and it connected
with the fear of invention by foreign army. This peculiar of mind to others
prevents Japanese to accept Christianity until now.
Q; Do many Japanese people have faith in Buddhism or Shintoism?
Many Japanese are Buddhist in formal. But most of them warship Shinto shrine on the first day of year and some of them has a wedding at a church. You may wonder if Buddhism is not a world religion like Christianity. Sure, it is one of the world religions. But it does not demand us to be exclusive. It does not propose us the idea of God who create the world, though it teach us all things must be according to Law. Rather it takes in many native gods in its myth as you can see in Mandara world. In fact, many Buddha had been regarded as the incarnation of Japanese gods.
If you consider Japanese do not have the sense of religion, it is wrong. They feel unconsciously the Supreme Existence behind individual beings. What they worship is not equal to idols that Bible or Quran condemns, rather each of them is a gate to Divinity as a terminal computer to connect with network world.
Modern Japanese people, however, respect their job
in their society better than religious faith because they have not recognized
Divinity consciously. The sincere, polite, hard working Japanese are too
busy to ignore religious interest and often regard their society as what
to worship. It is very dangerous because worshipping their society is nothing
but idol worship. Actually, its bad effect appears as company crimes. Extreme
loyalty to their society leads people cruel as Nazis.