Japan's Religious "Buffet"

October 25, 2016

Religion in Japan so far has the feel of an all-you-can-eat buffet: it’s convenient, easily accessible, and has the type of comfort that only a restaurant where it’s not just acceptable but almost encouraged to arrive in a sweatsuit specifically designed to expand with your stomach can achieve.


For the purpose of this article, I’m limiting myself to discussing the tourism aspect of what I have encountered in Japan. There is a difference, I’m sure, between being a spectator in a country and actively participating in religion on a daily or weekly basis. However, that being said, public access to temples and people’s attendance of religious services, seem to stem more from deep-rooted traditions rather than hard-kept religious beliefs. Someone of a Japanese background can attend both a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple with ease and think nothing of the inherent dichotomy between the two.

In America, I actively avoid participation in organized religion. Despite growing up Christian, and being confirmed as a Methodist, I’ve swung into a nihilist void full of existential crises and doubt regarding preconceived notions of faith. On Christmas Eve, before dutifully attending a church service with my family in order to please my mother, my extended family and I attended a movie and visited a local all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet that almost always has disastrous results for us later in the night, if you know what I mean.

After spending a few weeks exploring Japan, which undoubtedly includes getting lost (largely due to the fact that I only get service in 7-Eleven convenience stores), I’ve discovered that temples exist in every nook and cranny of the city without much fanfare. Although often very small, all of the temples that I visited were impeccably maintained and adorned with beautiful architecture. The people I encountered there didn’t mind that an obvious foreigner was gawking and obstructing their normal routine. At the larger sites, such as Meiji-jingu, the public display of religion intertwined with history is the main attraction, and it is precisely the acceptance of foreigners in situations like this that makes both understanding and passively observing Japanese religion so remarkable.

Beyond that, there is also an effort in Japan to reach out and engage others, especially non-Japanese individuals, in cultural and religious traditions, without the pressure to convert, or at least seriously look into the religion. I’ve experienced this effort more frequently here than in America. For instance, I’ve signed up to volunteer at a festival, which specifically sought out assistance from foreigners, in Kawagoe. As the girl who feels most comfortable eating three to five plates of dumplings and lo mein on what might be the biggest Christian holiday, I never imagined myself voluntarily joining an event associated with religion.

In Japanese, tabehodai means “all-you-can-eat,” and that is precisely what I hope to continue doing during my stay here, both in terms of food and religious and cultural experiences. After all, if the plate is empty and the environment is right, there’s no harm in excusing yourself and getting up for more of the endless choices offered to you.
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