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Japan
has a different view of religion than most other countries. Their
two main religions, Shintoism
and Buddhism,
are said to coexist side by side. They can even be combined together
to a certain degree. Most Japanese would consider themselves a mixture
of both Shintoists
and Buddhists.
For example, a Japanese person may not have any qualms in marrying
at a Shinto shrine and being buried in a Buddhist
cemetery.
The
Japanese do seem to have a sense of religious piety and spiritual
yearning, although they may not seem to care too much about religion.
In many ways, the community life and religion
are one and the same. This is just like the distinction between
good and bad, or sinful and righteous, which is more forgiving in
the Japanese society than in other cultures. In other words, there
is a lot of "gray area" in Japan. It also goes to show how tolerant
the Japanese people are of other religions. Nonetheless, religious
rituals are still followed at ceremonies, such as births, weddings,
and funerals.
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