Though most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist, or a combination of the two, religion really does not play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like weddings and funerals and may visit a shrine once or twice a year, ( much like lukewarm Christmas-and-Easter Christians). The Shinto belief is that Japan is the country of the gods and her people are the descendants of gods. The "Shinto gods" are sacred spirits which take the form of things such as wind, rain, and mountains. Humans become ancestral gods after they die and are then revered by their families. Many Japanese say, "We live as Shintoists, but die as Buddhists."
Nowadays about 90 million people consider themselves Buddhists in Japan. However, they admit that religion does not directly affect their everyday life. Many households keep a small house altar in order to pay respect to their ancestors. Only about 1% of Japan's population is Christian, mostly living in western Japan. In a recent survey, over half of all Japanese people indicated that they do not feel they belong to any religion and that religion is not important to them.
The reverence of ancestors is paramount to both Shintoism and Buddhism. However, ancestor worship is wrong because it places other gods ahead of Yahweh (God) , and it seeks to replace Yeshua (Jesus) as the Divine Mediator between God and mankind. This is direct disobedience to the First Commandment -"you shall have no other gods before me".
The teachings of Shintoism and Buddhism are completely incompatible with Biblical Christianity. The Bible is clear that there are not many gods, but one God.” I am the Lord (Yahweh), and there is none else, there is no Elohim (God) beside me: “(Isaiah 45:5). He is not an impersonal force, but a loving and caring Father God to those who obey Him “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters”, (2 Corinthians 6:18). He alone created the universe and He alone reigns sovereignly over it. The idea of gods that inhabit rocks, trees and animals combines two different Satanic lies: polytheism (many gods) and animism (the presence of gods in objects).
The idea of ritual purification of Shintoism and Buddhism serves no purpose for salvation. Only faith in the shed blood of the crucified Messiah (Yeshua - Jesus) can accomplish cleansing from sin and make us acceptable to a holy God. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus’ teaching on heaven was quite specific. He taught us that our physical bodies die but our souls ascend to be with Him in heaven “When the dead rise… they will be like the angels in heaven “(Mark 12:25). The Buddha taught that people do not have individual souls, for that is an illusion. For Buddhists there is no merciful Father in heaven who sent His Son to die for our salvation, or to provide the way for us to reach His glory.
The Shinto/Buddhism belief that spirits continue to reside on earth after death and influence the lives of others is not Scriptural. The Bible tells us that the spirits of the dead go to either heaven or hell and do not remain in the natural world 27” Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ( Hebrews 9:27). God assures us there is no reincarnation, no past lives. The Scripture above shows us that we are here one time, then go on to our reward or punishment, a fact that everyone should take very seriously, especially when we consider how quickly things have become tragic in Japan.
The terrible earthquake, deadly Tsunami, and horrific events surrounding Fukushima are not the worst tragedies Japan has had to endure. The most devastating tragedy is that, for the most part, as a society, the Japanese people do not know the One True God. What comfort do they derive from their dead ancestors and their lifeless spiritual rocks at this point? These are false gods and substitute saviors, offering no solace to the suffering, no affection to the afflicted, and no answers to the anxious. I pity the loss of life, and the troubles that continue, but mostly I weep for those acquainted with Shinto and Buddha, but have no relationship with the God of all Comfort, the loving Good Shepherd, who longs to gather up in His compassionate arms those who turn to Him. Hollow religion, un-feeling gods, hopeless ritual ---- I submit that is the greatest tragedy of Japan and all who follow hopeless philosophies. 