Use google translate if you want to read this post in other language.
ws165_WHY?: questions about Japan - Religion (a)
ws166_WHY?: questions about Japan - Religion (b)
2021-04-02 1:00amhttps://youtu.be/E9GuRmHYtpw
hope this series helps you to understand the Japan country and people.
外国人が疑問に思う事柄の動画です。日本に興味のある外国人が知り合いにいたらぜひシェアしてください。
text テキスト: 『なぜ、日本人は? 答えに詰まる外国人の質問178 Hard-to-Answer Questinos about Japan』著:内池久貴他 written by Uchiiké Hisataka and others/訳:マイケル・ブレーズ translated by Michael Brase(ジャパンブック JapanBook 2009)
Religion in Japan can roughly be divided into Shintō and Buddhism. However, in contemporary Japan, both Shintō and Buddhism are becoming more like a deeply rooted “custom” practiced in daily life rather than expressions of faith, as espressed in the phrase and practice of “a wedding with Shintō and a funeral with Buddhist rites.”
Shintō, literally “the way of the gods,” is the Japanese religion from ancient times, centering on the ideas of Japanese intimacy with nature and ancestor worship. All things on earth were brought froth and ruled over by the gods who reside throughout all nature. Mountains and trees often become objects of worship, and Shrine archways and sacred Shintō ropes mark sacred areas. Ordinarily, when shrines are built, objects of worship in which a god or gods reside are enshrined there. Shintō constitutes the foundation of the sensibility of the Japanese people, but most present-day Japanese, rather than placing faith in Shintō, feel their cultural identity through it.
Shintō meanwhile supported the Emperor system in a religious sense, and even now its ancient customary practices remain as the religion of the Imperial Family.
Bukkyō came to Japan in the middle of the sixth century. Supporters of bukkyō subsequently won a victory in the political power struggles of the time; building temples in every area under government patronage, it spread throughout the country. In the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), as a number of new leaders appeared and deepened its philosophy, bukkyō made clear its position of saving the weak. Zen Buddhism was brought to Japan in the Kamakura Period by priests who studied in China, and it flourished principally as the religion of samurai. At present, a culture in Japan that has bukkyō as its backdrop has laid roots deeply in the lives of the people and, together with Shinto, forms the spiritual culture of the Japanese people. Also, even today new sects of bukkyō keep emerging and gaining believers.
In Japan long ago, Buddhism, which came from abroad, and Shinto, which is a folk region, occasionally came together in a synthesis. Because Buddhism is not a theistic doctrine and Shinto principally worships nature, there were no contradictions in synthesizing them. This is called shinbutsu-shūgō. This tendency continued for a long time after Buddhism was introduced in the sixth century, with Shinto shrines supporting the construction of Buddhist temples.
When Japan began to function as a modern nation state in 1868, shinbutsu-shūgō was prohibited because the government set a policy of strengthening Shinto. But now, it is quite common to set up both Buddhist family altars (butsudan) and Shinto family altars (kami-dana) in the same house or to have weddings with Shinto rituals and funerals with Buddhist rituals.
なぜ、結婚式は神道でやるのに、お葬式は仏教であげるのですか? Why are weddings held at Shintō shrines and funerals held at Buddhist temples?
↑上記参照
なぜ、神社の前には鳥居があるのですか? Why is there a gate in front of Shintō shrines?
Torii are archways at the approaches to Shinto shrines and have become symbols of Shinto, indicating a sacred place where divinities dwell. Originally, they were perches for roosters offered to shrines. Two crosspieces are set on top of two upright pillars. These are everywhere in Japan. On seeing a torii, one can expect to find on the other side a Shinto shrine or a small shrine sheltering a divinity.
なぜ、神社で拝むとき手を叩くのですか? Why do Japanese clap their hands when worshipping at a shrine?
コメントはありません。
なぜ、祭りのときに神輿を担ぐのですか? Why are portable shrines paraded around during festivals?
Japanese festivals are roughly divided into two kinds. Traditionally-held festivals involve Shinto deities and the people communicating through certain rites on specific dates. Formalities vary, for these festivals are mixed with a diversity of folk beliefs, yet they are invariably held in any region in Japan wherever there is a shrine. Meanwhile, from traditional festivals in which are similar in form to those traditional festivals, have also become to be called “matsuri.” And when a certain number of people gather and create a lively space, that too is called “matsuri,” and the collective state of excitement is called the “state of making a fete of it (o-matsuri sawagi).”
なぜ、狐や実在の人物を祀る神社があるのですか? Why are foxes and historical persons worshiped at Shintō shrines?
Use google translate if you want to read this post in other language.
ws164_WHY?: questions about Japan - Housing
hope this series helps you to understand the Japan country and people.
外国人が疑問に思う事柄の動画です。日本に興味のある外国人が知り合いにいたらぜひシェアしてください。
text テキスト: 『なぜ、日本人は? 答えに詰まる外国人の質問178 Hard-to-Answer Questinos about Japan』著:内池久貴他 written by Uchiiké Hisataka and others/訳:マイケル・ブレーズ translated by Michael Brase(ジャパンブック JapanBook 2009)
なぜ、「遊びにきてね」と言いながら、招待してくれないのですか? Why do Japanese say, “Come over sometime,” when they don't really mean it?
典型的な「建前」ですね。(Character (a)、(b)、(c) の動画も併せてご覧ください。ブログ記事はコチラ)これって、この言葉を発する日本人がよっぽど状況判断能力が低いか、言われる外国人の容姿や口調が日本人と見分けがつかないかの状況でしかないと思うんですが。もしこの日本人が外国語試験で高得点を取っているとしたら、その試験自体を疑うべきでしょうね、なにせ、判断能力が低いのに高得点が取れてしまう試験など信用できないでしょう? 日本人同士でも、ある程度親密にならないとこういう会話はあり得ません。なのに、あまり親密でない間柄でこんなことを言い出すなんて、よっぽど下心があるといっていいですね。でなければ、相手のことなどお構いなしで、自分の価値観を押し付けてくる人。「はい、はい(You must pause a moment between the first "hai" and the second.)」と言って、あまり近寄らないのが得策ですね。まあ、引っ越しの挨拶で「お近くにお越しの際は、ぜひお立ち寄りください」などの表現を見かけますが、これも本心ではありません。相手に嫌われないための体のいい嘘です。こういう複雑なことをしておきながら、他人に理解されないと悩む矛盾に気づかないんでしょうか、理解されたかったら言動一致させるべきだと思いますが──。まさか、出会って間もないのに「以心伝心」なんて迷信を信じてるはずはないですよねぇ?
なぜ、日本のトイレにはシャワーが付いているのですか? Why do Japanese toilets have built-in water jets?