Shrines and Temples

Japanese Temples and Shrines

Religion may be one of the factors that distinguishes the Japanese from Westerners.

Shinto, native Japanese religion and Buddhism, which came to Japan from China, coexist and are closely linked in the lives of the Japanese.  Most Japanese go to Shinto shrines on New Year's day, get married in Christian churches or Shinto shrines and hold funerals at a Buddhist temples.  Compared to Christian countries, people in Japan tend to be much more flexible and non-dogmatic about religion.

On New Years Day, the Japanese visit shrines or temples to pray for health and happiness in the coming year. People who do not go to shrines or temples in their everyday lives go there at New Years time. It is an opportunity for women to dress up in beautiful kimonos.

After praying at the shrine, many Japanese get an Omikuji fortune. The Omikuji tells your fortune for the coming year in various grades – from great blessings to bad luck – on thin rolls or strip of papers. For my family, the Omikujis indicate our destiny for the year! The Omikujis we get at the Hie Shrine where we go every year contain a poem and come with short explanations about your prospects in health, love, money matters and so on.

One of the times that we feel how Buddhist temples are rooted in the Japanaese lives is when we hear the striking of the temple bells on New Year's Eve.  As midnight nears at the end of the year, the bell at every temple is rung 108 times as the old year goes out and the new year comes in.  The bells are rung 108 times to encourage us to forswear what Buddhism teaches are the 108 impure human desires.