RELIGION IN JAPAN.

Today many religions are practiced in Japan, but most Japanese follow a meld of Shintoism and
Buddhism. Although religion does not play a major role in the everyday life of the average Japanese,
they do have customs and rituals that are observed on special occasions like birthdays, weddings,
funerals, and religious holidays.
The exact origins of Shintoism are still unknown. Archaeological evidence suggests some form of it was
being practiced by the Yayoi people (400 B.C. - 250 A.D.). The Yayoi lived in clans called uji. Each uji had
a leader who served as both the war-chief and spiritual leader. Each clan was associated with a single
god, or kami. Kami represented objects in nature and wondrous aspects of the world. There were kami
representing mountains, rivers, storms, and even rocks. When a clan defeated another clan in war they
would assimilate the defeated clan's kami into their existing religion. In this way the Yayoi slowly built a
complex hierarchy of kami.

After its arrival from China and Korea in 538 A.D., Buddhism spread rapidly throughout Japan. Many
people were reluctant to accept Buddhism at that time because of nationalism and xenophobism. After
the defeat of the Mononobe clan in 587 A.D., who were opponents of Buddhism, the religion spread
unimpeded. Almost two centuries later, under Emperor Shomu's order, the temple of Todai-ji was built
at Nara in 752. It is the largest wooden structure in the world housing a fifteen-meter high gilt-bronze
statue of the Cosmic Buddha, later to be known as The Great Sun Buddha, or Dainichi Nyorai in
Japanese. The Dainichi Nyorai was associated with Amaterasu, the Shinto Sun Goddess. With the
identification of the Dainichi Nyorai with a Shinto kami so began the syncretism of Shintoism and
Buddhism. Today, The evidence of this syncretism can be seen throughout Japan.

Many Japanese festivals, or matsuri, originated from early Shinto rituals. These festivals often symbolize
hope for abundant rice production or spiritual health of the community. The festivals are often done
inside a Shinto Shrine, or display some form or image of a Shrine. Many of these festivals can stretch for
over several days. These usually include processions that bear an image of the local Kami through
crowded streets to the sound of drums and flutes. The festivities vary with different locals, but they all
have similar features: energy, noise, food, and exultation. This is an opportunity members of the local
community to celebrate a joyful occasion together.

One of the more well-known festivals in Japan is the Bon Festival, also known as O-bon, an event that
marks the annual visitation of departed ancestors to the surviving members of their family. This festival
is characterized by visits to Buddhist temples and the decoration of alters of the departed. Days before
the festival, ancestral graves are cleaned by family members in preparation for the return of the souls of
the deceased. Many people also take this opportunity to return to their native towns to be with their
families and visit local temples to pray and give offerings.
http://facts-about-japan.com/modern-religion.html

RELIGION IN KOREA.
Korean society is presently a unique multi-religious society. Confucian ethics dominate the daily life of
Koreans, and hyanggyo, Confucian educational institutions, are found scattered throughout the
country. At every scenic spot, there is a Buddhist monastery, and most of the nation's tangible cultural
assets are Buddhist. Yet when entering any Korean city, one is immediately impressed by the number of
Protestant churches. During the 1980s, Catholic churches have served as the representative of the
conscience of Korean society.
At present, Buddhists number 25.3%, with 19.8% for Protestants, and Catholics make up about 7.3%
percent. Thus, Korea is the most actively Christian society in East Asia. In addition to these groups,
there are numerous shamanism devotees, new religions and, in particular, Confucianists, who are still
not represented in religious surveys. For this reason, Korea's religious population is much larger than
superficial survey-counts indicate.
In addition, an Imam attached to the Turkish army (one of the 16 U.N. forces which participated in the
Korean War) introduced Islam to Korea. Through his efforts, some Koreans worshipped with the Turkish
soldiers and converted to Islam. In 1966, a Korean Islamic organization was formed and in the same
year, a mosque was erected in Seoul. Since then, seven more have been established. There are now
more than twenty thousand Moslems in Korea.
Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are the representative world religions which have made
a decisive contribution to the formation of the various aspects of world culture. Confucianism,
Buddhism and Christianity, in particular, respectively represent the classical cultures of China, India, and
Western monotheism. Although these religions all coexists in Korea, at present none of them is able to
represent Korean culture.
In addition, since the prehistoric period, shamanism, diverse folk beliefs and countless indigenous
religions have developed in Korea. As a result, Korea has an abundance of religious holidays, i.e. New
Years, which are celebrated according to both lunar and solar calendars, Buddha's Birthday, Ch'usok (the
Harvest Festival),Kaech'aonjol (Foundation Day) and Christmas. Korea is probably the only country in
the world to have such a diverse range of religious holidays.
Other multi-religious societies live under the threat of disintegration, but Korea's diverse religions have
managed to coexist since ancient times. During Korea's long history, dynastic change has been brought
about under the name of religion, but religion has never led to the division of the people. Even among
Koreans today, there is nobody who wants to divide the Korean people on religious grounds. To this
extent, Korean's homogeneity is considered to be more important to Koreans than any religious value.
From mythical times onward, Koreans have been confident about their unique identity as a people. On
the other hand, Koreans have zealously imported foreign culture. By looking at these seemingly
divergent aspects of their culture as complementary, Koreans have been able to develop a creative
culture and philosophy. Ideologically, when a synthesis of divergent aspects has been reached, harmony
prevails. For this reason, Koreans' creative efforts, regardless of which form they take, always culminate
with the ideal of harmony.
From ancient times, this harmonious spirit has enabled Koreans to maintain their cultural identity while
actively introducing culture from the rest of the world. Classical Confucian and Buddhist culture has
gloriously upheld its prestigious position in Korean society, and Christianity is alive and well. Through
Buddhist art, aspects of ancient Greek culture are still alive, and the cultures from the nomadic peoples
of Central Asia have established deep roots in Korea as well. In this sense, Korea serves as a repository
of the world's classical cultures.
In the 1960s, Korean society entered the path towards industrialization. Since then, numerous
universities and research institutes have competitively acquired modern thought. As a result, Korean
society now embraces the cultural traditions of both the East and West. Western technology, modern
social thought and the Christian faith are no longer seen as foreign. Within the East Asian sphere of
traditional cultures, Korea represents the greatest success of Christian Evangelism. In this sense,
Western culture has been assimilated by Korean culture. This harmonization of diverse cultural
elements is a legacy from the ancient past that gives Koreas confidence to meet the changes of the
modern world. Yet, it must be kept in mind that Koreans did not begin to actively acquire modern
thought until the 1960s, so time is required before they can recreate modern thought in a Korean form.
A multicultural society easily slides into chaos. Moreover, the Korean people have passed the last half
century amid continual, violent social upheavals. Within this turmoil, Korea has not yet been able to
over come conditions forced upon it by history. For this reason, Korea is often seen by outsiders as an
unstable and aggressive society that is inherently chaotic. However, the problems that Korea faces are
actually a miniature version of the shrinking "global village." In this sense, Korea efforts to solve their
own problems may also lead to solutions for the world at large. Koreans, with their unique history, have
thus assumed an important role in the history of mankind.
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/rel/overview1.htm