The saying “Shinto for coming-of-age ceremonies, churches for weddings, Buddhist temples for funerals” captures Japan’s pragmatic approach to religion—one that has gradually reduced centuries-old Buddhism to a matter of ritual and formality. Today, Japanese monks can marry, become influencers, run cafés, or even appear in photo books. Their lifestyles reflect the everyday world, standing in sharp contrast to the austere monastic discipline of Baizhang’s Rules of Purity, once admired by the samurai. How did such a transformation unfold over the centuries?

In the 6th century, Buddhism was introduced to the Japanese emperor by the king of Baekje (a Korean kingdom). Although it was repeatedly challenged by Shintoism and often knocked down, the powerful Soga clan—protectors of Buddhism—prevailed in court politics. With Empress Suiko and Prince Shōtoku among its early patrons, Buddhism won imperial favor and remained embraced by the elite for centuries. Shinto shrines became subordinate to Buddhist temples, Shinto priests donned monk robes, and the names of kami (gods) were replaced with Buddhist and bodhisattva titles.

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate, aiming to eradicate Christianity, established the terauke system: every household was required to register with a temple and support its monks. This system remained in place until the fall of the shogunate, when the “greenhouse” protecting Buddhism collapsed.

At the end of the Edo period, Confucian ideas that emphasized reverence for the emperor began to rise. Shintoism and nationalistic ideology took center stage. During the Meiji Restoration, efforts to suppress Buddhism intensified—monks were ordered to use secular names and were permitted to marry. Buddhism became even more secularized. Yet ironically, riding the tide of Westernization, monks from various schools traveled to Europe and America to study and spread the Dharma, eventually bringing Zen Buddhism to the global stage.

According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 46% of people in Japan today identify as Buddhist.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, although the terauke system has collapsed, the tradition of communities supporting their local temples remains. We lift up in prayer the danka households—those who maintain and support temple life—and especially the dantō, the lay leaders who oversee and coordinate these efforts. May their hearts be touched by the Most High, that they may see You, the Creator of the universe and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. You are not served by human hands as if You needed anything, for You Yourself give everyone life and breath and everything else. Lord, in a land often visited by natural disasters, where people seek safety through rituals of protection and blessing, reveal Yourself as the God who sustains all things by the power of His word—our firm and trustworthy refuge, who freely gives eternal life and peace. Lead them in truth to walk the path of blessing. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.