This is a picture I took while strolling around waiting to see a movie in Shinjo, Kyoto around March 27th or so. I was actually very surprised to see this there. I was aware there were Christians in Japan but up to this point I had not seen anything relating to Christianity. Here is a link to a brief history of religion in Japan http://homepage3.nifty.com/su/Englishpage/History_Christianity.html.
Since I noticed this bookstore I have also noticed a few other Christian places around Japan. I found a Christian elementary school in Korien. I read here (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2298.html) that from the beginning of Christianity in Japan it was mostly middle to upper class people that joined. It makes sense to me that in those times the more welathy would have the religion because other people would not have had time for work and religion.
One part of Christianity I have noticed that are widely celebrated in Japan are the holidays. For example Christmas or Saint Valentine's day. Saint Valentine's Day has also been modified in Japan to the White Day in March. (Valentine's day is for women to give chocolate to men and White Day is for men to return chocolate to women.)
This is a picture of one of my friends that is wearing a cross earing and a necklace with The Virgin Mary on it. These are not worn for the religion but for the fashion of them. Since I saw these and asked about them I have also noticed several other people wearing them.
I asked these people if they were Christian or Catholic and the answers have all been no. An interesting thing I learned was that some people had gone to Christian junior and high schools, but were not Christian at all. Where I am from I know of a Christian school and you had to be Christian or they wouldn't consider you to be allowed to attend.
I find it very interesting that these religions in Japan are so different from in America. I think it is very good to be open minded in this case and let be enrolled in their school and not be part of their religion.
1 comment:
I like your photos. There is certainly a relationship between Christianity and English in Japan. And we see a lot of crosses as jewelry. But only about 1% of the Japanese population is Christian.
J.R. Clammer has an interesting chapter about Christians in his book, "Japan and Its Others: Globalization, Difference and the Critique of Modernity" (2001).
These two clips might be helpful in understanding Christianity in Japan as well:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Q106iXPtVmo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DRoVT-F5Wn4
The first is a promotion to get missionaries to go to Japan. The second is a testimonial by a Japanese Christian.
Christianity as a monotheistic religion has many challenges in Japan, and that is probably why it hasn't been so successful here.
There is also an interesting film, "Otaiya: Japan's Hidden Christians" about the early Japanese Christians who went into hiding in the eraly 1600s.
http://www.der.org/films/otaiya.html
Post a Comment