Though I’m not a practicing Buddhist or Shinto, I partook in the experience because, in recent years, it has become much more of a cultural excursion not limited to any religion. The New Year, perhaps, has even more significance in Japan than in the United States where it really is a chance to reflect on changes for the new year and begin implementing them. As part of a token of goodwill, in heading to the shrines it is common for people to bring small donations for the monks.
Many of Japan’s religious traditions have withstood the test of time because of the traditional cultural values rather than because they are a part of modern religious practice. Many Japanese don’t align with a religion, though most who do will consider themselves Buddhist or Shinto, with a few Christians and Muslims forming the minority. Though some of the traditions may lie outside of their respective religious tradition, like praying at shrines for the new year, many Christians and atheists still go there just as tradition.
Besides the New Year, other festivals that no longer carry much religious importance occur. Nearly every season there are celebrations at the solstice and equinox that once had agricultural and religious purposes but now are times for families to wear traditional clothing and enjoy festival foods and games.
Though Japan has become a largely secular society, holidays like setsubun still occur. In early February, people throw beans at costumed oni (demons) to chase away the bad omens. Though many of my Japanese friends don’t believe in oni, they still partake in the tradition because it has been a multigenerational custom in their family.
While the religious aspects may be diminished, Japan still remains a superstitious society. For example, the words for four (shi) and nine (kyuu) are pronounced similarly to the words for death and suffering. As such, many Japanese people attempt to avoid those numbers, often buying eggs in threes or fives instead of cartons of four. Similarly, folklore that warns against opening up umbrellas indoors (because they are said to usher in bad spirits) still guides many Japanese lives, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Overall, the once-religious holidays have taken on a different meaning. Instead of being times to worship the ancestral spirits, though some still do that, they have become holidays to spend with family, whether in traveling to temples or going together to festivals. The preservation of Japanese culture and traditions through generations has largely guided the continuation of these holidays. Even among the foreigners and expatriates living in Japan, they have become a popular way to showcase a traditional Japanese culture that continues to live vibrantly in collusion with Japan’s modernity.
Kristin Ronzi graduated from Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service in 2016 with a major in regional and comparative studies. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she spent the 2014-2015 academic year abroad at Waseda University in Japan as part of the Waseda Global Leadership Fellowship and blogged for the Junior Year Abroad Network.
