Japan's Shinto

Shinto is Japan's indigenous religion, an animist faith which advocates the worship of nature gods. The Japanese adopted Buddhism and Confucianism from China, and have changed Buddhism into distinctly Japanese forms: Jodo, Shingon, Nicheren, and Zen. Many Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rituals. The religions of Japan include Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, and Shintoism. Japan is an ethnically homogeneous nation: it is over 99% Japanese, half a percent Korean, and a tenth of a percent Chinese. Ethnic homogeneity can lead to religious harmony, as most citizens hold the same beliefs, but it can also lead to religious discrimination if minority rights are not respected.

Although the Constitution mandates freedom of religion, the Court interprets freedom of religion provisions in a manner that defers to community standards and favors Shinto.

Even so, violations of religious liberty do not occur overtly. In its map of “Suppression of Religious Liberty around the World,” Christian Solidarity International states that Japan commits “no major or minor violations of basic religious liberties.”