In Search of Japanese Atheists and Non Believers

Dear Friends,
I am collecting articles about the experiences of atheists and non-religious people around the world for future publication. I am seeking any atheist / secular humanist / skeptic / freethinker Japanese people willing to describe their experiences as a secular non-believer in Japanese society. I am very interested to know what it's like to be atheist or non-religious in a buddhist / shinto culture.
Please read the request for articles below.
Thanks,
Janna TJ
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Dear Friends,
I am working to compile for publication a book of essays/articles
about the experiences of atheists around the world.
I am from the United States, where religion is usually a personal
matter and one's beliefs or non-beliefs do not necessarily affect
their public lives. I live in the middle-east, where a person's
religion is very public, even printed their national identity card,
and people of different religions have different legal systems. It is
a much different experience being atheist in the USA and being an
atheist in the middle-east.
I am very interested to hear about the experience of atheists in
different cultures and societies around the world. Our beliefs are
similar, but the way they affect our lives is very different.
For this reason, I am seeking contributions of articles from atheists
and non-believers around the world. I am especially interested to hear
from atheists in non-western countries, countries which espouse a
state religion, and countries where the majority religion is
non-theistic or polytheistic. I am also interested to hear the
experiences of atheists who are members of a minority community within
their country.
I would like submissions to include both personal experience and the
facts of your environment. Some questions to consider:
What is your experience as an atheist in your country or community?
Are you open about your non-belief or must you keep your atheism a
secret? Are you discriminated against for your atheism? How does your
day-to-day life compare with the lives of religious believers in your
country or community? How does your atheism affect your family life?
Do you celebrate holidays? What struggles do you face, if any, as a
non-believer? Does your country list a religion on your identity card,
and if so, is "atheist" allowed as a response? Do you face legal
restrictions due to your beliefs?
Submissions should be at least 1000 words and up to 5000 words.
(Please assume that readers have little knowledge of your
country's majority religion and explain that cultural context from
which you write.)
(pen-names are allowed if necessary)
Please submit your essays by private messaging me trough the forum.

Strictly speaking, true Buddhism does not have the image of superior being or god. God or gods in Buddhism are just symbolic expressions of the natural forces of the universe and Buddhist recognizes this unseen forces through direct experience or self-cultivation. Hence, it would be better to include Buddhism since it focuses also on humanism..

To be honest, religion in Japan is more a matter of tradition than belief. A majority of people go through the motions, but few people have such a personal investment in religious affirmation here. There are exceptions, of course. Being atheist in Japan is hardly a hindrance; it's more or less the norm.

If you ask Japanese people "what is your religion?", many would answer "I'm atheist" but to be precise most of them simply thinks they do not belong to any particular religion and that is what atheist is in their mind.
Actually most of them (who claim to be atheist) do not deny the existance of gods or any bigger existance, as they do go to temples and shrines especially for new year's visit.

Buddhism an Shitoism are the two major religions here, and both are not monotheistic religion, also these two religions are integrated (you can find many small shrines within the temple), so generally people do not have a very strong sense of religion.
nice gaijin's comments "religion in Japan is more a matter of tradition than belief" explains the situation well.

There are of course devout believers of Buddhism or Shintoism in Japan, but they are rather exceptional.

undrentide said:

If you ask Japanese people "what is your religion?", many would answer "I'm atheist" but to be precise most of them simply thinks they do not belong to any particular religion and that is what atheist is in their mind.

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The president of the company I deliver to recently remarked to me that when he is overseas and people ask him what his religion is he finds it makes things easier to just say he's Buddhist. "Don't ask me what the teachings are, though, because I have no idea."

The majority of people here truly do just "go through the motions" and for the most parts Buddhist temples exist as an extension of the funeral industry.

undrentide said:

Buddhism an Shitoism are the two major religions here, and both are not monotheistic religion, also these two religions are integrated (you can find many small shrines within the temple), so generally people do not have a very strong sense of religion.

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This raises an interesting point: Buddhism and Shintoism are flexible enough to be integrated with each other, and their non-exclusivity has allowed both to flourish here. Comparably, monotheisms that don't allow for the integration of other beliefs haven't fared nearly as well in Japan.

nice gaijin said:

This raises an interesting point: Buddhism and Shintoism are flexible enough to be integrated with each other, and their non-exclusivity has allowed both to flourish here. Comparably, monotheisms that don't allow for the integration of other beliefs haven't fared nearly as well in Japan.

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In the early days of Buddhism in Japan this mutual tolerance was not the case.

I suspect that the reason monotheistic religions have not fared as well is that they place more demands on their adherents (as a general thing anyway).

Atheist is an antithesis to religions originated from Middle East. I myself firmly believe that atheist is a kind of religion which believe God doesn't exist (the God Himself/Herself is according to the Middle East's concept of God).

Because the religions and values from Middle East have little influences to the people of East Asian, the concept of atheist itself has little meaning here.

chambguy said:

Atheist is an antithesis to religions originated from Middle East. I myself firmly believe that atheist is a kind of religion which believe God doesn't exist (the God Himself/Herself is according to the Middle East's concept of God).

Because the religions and values from Middle East have little influences to the people of East Asian, the concept of atheist itself has little meaning here.

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I disagree. While Atheism seems to clash most often with Judeo-Christian religions, by definition an atheist holds no belief in any gods, including those in Shintoism. Keep in mind this is fundamentally different from believing that no gods exist. You'll get different answers depending on which atheist you ask, but in the strictest sense of the word atheism holds no belief in gods, nothing more nothing less.

It's true atheism might not have much meaning in Japan, but not because atheism is an antithesis to Judeo-Christian religions and not Shintoism or Buddhism, but instead because the idea of gods in Japan is more of a tradition than a belief, as people have pointed out.

Mike Cash said:

In the early days of Buddhism in Japan this mutual tolerance was not the case.

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I don't think there was ever an extended period of direct competition between the two systems of belief.

Buddhism did attempt at several points to completely consume Shinto and take over as the main faith, but the people tolerated it as dominant only on the condition that Shinto also be allowed to maintain an its tradtionally active role in religion and the life of the state. And accepted that most Japanese begin practicing both religions precisely because the ideas behind them were very compatible, in a yin-yang sort of relationship. When the ideas did contradict each other, there were always ways of intertwining and ways of merging them to the point that even scholars have had little success unraveling the various strands. It was only at the beginning of Meiji, into the establishment of Shinto as the nationalistic official religion, that the government attempted a forcible separation of Shinto and Buddhist cults, which had been amalgamated for over a thousand years. And even a disassociation by decree policy was largely unsuccessful at breaking the embrace, in practice.

The real disaster in Japan has been the centuries-wide efforts of the state to control religion as a military ideology.

Both Buddhism and shintoism are pantheistic. However, Buddhism has a strong philosophical teachings which had influenced shinto over the course of time and integrated in the japanese culture. That is the reason why Buddhism spread and became one of the world religions because of its tolerance and acceptance toward other cultures.

nice gaijin said:

This raises an interesting point: Buddhism and Shintoism are flexible enough to be integrated with each other, and their non-exclusivity has allowed both to flourish here. Comparably, monotheisms that don't allow for the integration of other beliefs haven't fared nearly as well in Japan.

Click to expand...

Half-n-Half said:

I disagree. While Atheism seems to clash most often with Judeo-Christian religions, by definition an atheist holds no belief in any gods, including those in Shintoism. Keep in mind this is fundamentally different from believing that no gods exist. You'll get different answers depending on which atheist you ask, but in the strictest sense of the word atheism holds no belief in gods, nothing more nothing less.

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You forgot the fact that many people became atheists because the holy books contain many errors, the bad examples of the religious leaders, and/or they can no longer believe the concept of God from their religions.

As you can see, the causes are the antithesis of their religions, "because my religion cannot be true, there cannot be God". So this is the new form of religion which believe there is no God. And it is quite difficult to find atheists who can grasp God's concept without refering to any religion, just God(s) who create (partially) the universe (or just small part of it, including human being).

chambguy said:

You forgot the fact that many people became atheists because the holy books contain many errors, the bad examples of the religious leaders, and/or they can no longer believe the concept of God from their religions.

As you can see, the causes are the antithesis of their religions, "because my religion cannot be true, there cannot be God". So this is the new form of religion which believe there is no God. And it is quite difficult to find atheists who can grasp God's concept without refering to any religion, just God(s) who create (partially) the universe (or just small part of it, including human being).

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It does not apply to the people who has never belonged to or believed in any religion...

undrentide said:

It does not apply to the people who has never belonged to or believed in any religion...

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I has never belong to any religion. My parents are religious, but I don't accept their religion from the time I can remember. But I strongly reject to be labeled as an atheist. I am not comfortable to be grouped with them, as from my viewpoint they are simply forming new religion with copycat values from their old religions.

And now I seriously consider there can be God(s) who created (partially) universe (or only small part of it including human). So, I cannot be an atheist, yet my concept of God(s) is different from any religion I can point to.

For me, both religions and atheism are too shallow and make no sense, they too confident with their belief systems.

chambguy said:

You forgot the fact that many people became atheists because the holy books contain many errors, the bad examples of the religious leaders, and/or they can no longer believe the concept of God from their religions.

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If you are saying that atheists are only those people who rejected a religion, then as undrentide said, you are leaving out a great deal of people. An atheist is a person who holds no belief in any deities. That's it. You don't have to reject a religion first to become an atheist.

I didn't become atheist because I read a holy book one day and thought it was rubbish. I was practically born an atheist because my parents were not religious at all.

chambguy said:

And now I seriously consider there can be God(s) who created (partially) universe (or only small part of it including human). So, I cannot be an atheist, yet my concept of God(s) is different from any religion I can point to.

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I think there could be God(s) who created the universe, if only partially. Guess what, I am an atheist. An atheist does not hold any beliefs in any gods, but can still admit to the possibility of gods simply because he/she does not know.

Half-n-Half said:

I
I think there could be God(s) who created the universe, if only partially. Guess what, I am an atheist. An atheist does not hold any beliefs in any gods, but can still admit to the possibility of gods simply because he/she does not know.

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Isn't that an agnostic ? And can you and chambguy etc please take the propaganda elsewhere so as to refrain from hijacking this thread ?

Thank you !

Elizabeth said:

Isn't that an agnostic ? And can you and chambguy etc please take the propaganda elsewhere so as to refrain from hijacking this thread ?

Thank you !

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Ok, forgive me. But I am not hijacking this thread. As the thread master said, he is collecting information about atheists, agnostics, free thinkers, etc (so it is not about only atheists) including from personal experiences and opinions. So, I just told him my personal view, including my view toward religious people as well as atheists.

And I am not interested to be grouped in the agnostics either, I can be Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, etc next time. So, perhaps I am a free thinker.

chambguy said:

Ok, forgive me. But I am not hijacking this thread. As the thread master said, he is collecting information about atheists, agnostics, free thinkers, etc (so it is not about only atheists) including from personal experiences and opinions. So, I just told him my personal view, including my view toward religious people as well as atheists.
And I am not interested to be grouped in the agnostics either, I can be Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, etc next time. So, perhaps I am a free thinker.

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Sometimes, it is not, quite, "hijacking". rather it is further "refining" discussion surrounding the thread topic. ...This IMHO sounds like the debate from another thread in a subject clearly not related to the question for and about Japanese people as they relate to BUDDHISM and SHINTO !

Elizabeth said:

Sometimes, it is not, quite, "hijacking". rather it is further "refining" discussion surrounding the thread topic. ...This IMHO sounds like the debate from another thread in a subject clearly not related to the question for and about Japanese people as they relate to BUDDHISM and SHINTO !

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The thread master said he/she wanted views from all people around the world about atheists and non-religious people. Then others focusing on the case in Japan related to Buddhist and Shinto as opposing to the westerners who take Middle East religions. So you just misunderstood....

chambguy said:

The thread master said he/she wanted views from all people around the world about atheists and non-religious people. Then others focusing on the case in Japan related to Buddhist and Shinto as opposing to the westerners who take Middle East religions. So you just misunderstood....

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If you're so interested in helping, perhaps you can email your submission to the author actually ANSWERING the information, open-response questions and composition writing prompts, as it was originally requested by the OP.

Elizabeth said:

If you're so interested in helping, perhaps you can email your submission to the author actually ANSWERING the information, open-response questions and composition writing prompts, as it was originally requested by the OP.

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No, the real problem is not there. The problem is all about the personal story told in the public by a person that you consider junior (that's me).
I am East Asian with mother tongue strongly opposed the emphasizing of oneself in the public, so I am very well aware of this problem. That's why I use nickname. This problem is very natural, as person with some self-confidence problems usually tells about themselves in the public to cure themselves.
And oppositely to what you said, you are the one who hijacking this thread by making unnecessary comments unrelated to the topic.
So, lets go back to the topic.
In Japan (perhaps also in China and Korea), atheism, agnosticism, free thinking, etc which the concepts more or less come from the antithesis of religion values of Middle East have little meaning because children are raise without those values. Japanese is usually just curious why Westerners (and the rest of the worlds who believe in any Middle East's religion) believe in something that is unproven and hard to discern. They simply use science and technologies to solve their problems. And actually, almost all Japanese doesn't care much about any religion.
Because in the beginning the those religion values are somewhat absent in the Japanese culture, you cannot say Japanese people are atheists (agnostics, etc) as these concepts are more or less the antithesis of Middle East's religions.

I do not understand why you've been consistently bringing up Middle East's religions, because as I and other members pointed out, "aetheist" is not something particular/unique to Middle East's religions but it simply refers to "people who do not believe that god(s) exists". So Middle East's religions and their influence to Japan has nothing to do with the atheists in Japan.

chambguy said:

Japanese is usually just curious why Westerners (and the rest of the worlds who believe in any Middle East's religion) believe in something that is unproven and hard to discern.

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I strongly disagree with this statement.

Shintoism had been the major religion in Japan until Buddhism was introduced, and its basic idea is everything has spirit/soul (a kind of aminism).
So most people do not think deity is "something unproven/hard to discern".
On the contrary, most people take it as a matter of course, without questioning if such god(s) really exists or not.
Whether they believe in such god(s) or follow the religion is another thing, of course.

chambguy said:

They simply use science and technologies to solve their problems.

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I do not think so. Here are some examples one can often see/hear in daily life in Japan.

- When it shines/rains on particular occasion (like outings when one wish for good weather), people tend to say "it shines/rains because one always behaves/doesn't behave"ﾂ（窶愿ｺﾂ債?窶堙個行窶堋｢窶堋ｪ窶堋｢窶堋｢窶堙娯?堙?青ｰ窶堙ｪ窶堋ｽﾂ／ﾋ?ｫ窶堋｢窶堙娯?堙??ｰJ窶堋ｪﾂ降窶堙≫?堋ｽﾂ）in Japan. On hearing this, people do not say someething like "oh, no, one's behaviour has nothing to do with weather!" or "It's just a natural phenomenon!"
- When something bad happens, one often says 窶敖ｱ窶堋ｪ窶懌?凪?堋ｽ窶堙≫?堋ｽ "received devine punishment", which shows people believe in karma (obviouly influence of Buddhism). When saying/hearing this, most people do not question about that concept.

Of course, people do use technology/science to solve problems (when a car is defect, we do bring it to garage or dealer to have it fixed) but the point is, in Japan science and belief are not something oppose each other, at least in the level of everyday life.

Just read Nichiren posts on this thread. I think (s)he has good understanding on the position of religions and concept of God(s) or deity in Japanese society.
In my understanding, Japanese doesn't need to prove/disprove the existences of God(s), and even though the stories of deities makes no sense for them, it won't make them turn into something like atheists who are relentlessly thinking deeply about religions, God(s), etc. And actually you can easily find many Japanese people who never think God(s) exist but still are praying in shrines or church, or keeping doing other religious ceremonies which hardly can be found in atheists in western world or other part of the world under Middle East's religions influence (because after become atheists, they will use their previous religious way of thinking, and start making atheism as a new religion)
In my subjective position, I think atheism is just a belief system created as an antithesis of the mainstream religions originated from Middle East, especially Christianity.

chambguy said:

Atheist is an antithesis to religions originated from Middle East. I myself firmly believe that atheist is a kind of religion which believe God doesn't exist (the God Himself/Herself is according to the Middle East's concept of God).
Because the religions and values from Middle East have little influences to the people of East Asian, the concept of atheist itself has little meaning here.

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I agree. Eastern religions and philosophies(i.e.Buddhism) have influences the religions in the middle east not the other way around even beyond the Greek civilization. However, what differs from the concept of God between the eastern thought from the western/middle east religions is that God is everywhere in all natural forces. God is not a force outside the universe or the cosmos. It is the cosmos itself. If we realized this principle which underlies all natural phenomena and in our human world, one attains Nirvana or enlightenment.

Nichiren said:

what differs from the concept of God between the eastern thought from the western/middle east religions is that God is everywhere in all natural forces. God is not a force outside the universe or the cosmos.

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Since you think this way i want to tell you that in Islam god (Allah) is with people wherever they go and wherever they are.
I could not find the meaning in English for the word ( Ma3iyah or Ma3iyatullah ) so i can't explain it for you.