Shinto

Shintoism teaches that unlucky years occur throughout a person's life. To combat that, people are urged to have special cleansing ceremonies and buy good luck charms.

A major reason for Japan's low-crime society lies in the virtues of Shintoism. They are admired by much of the world, but is it enough?

“When I was in preschool I was taught, at meal times, that seven gods reside in one grain of rice,” Mai, a high school student recounted. “I couldn’t reconcile this teaching with what I [...]

This new missionary was surprised to find herself throwing a bag of beans with other shoppers in her local grocery store.

This missionary found Christmas being celebrated at a local Shrine—without Christ. Christmas in Japan is a fun time—dominated by commercial bling—with little connection to Christ or his church.

Some of our missionaries come from Chinese backgrounds, which gives them a unique insight into the Japanese Buddhist mindset. Here's one missionary's story of her experience.

Many Japanese take time off at Obon to visit family and worship at the family altar. This shows respect and love for their family and some Christians face rejection when they try to stay firm in [...]

Active involvement in Buddhism has fluctuated over the centuries, but there is still a sense that to be Japanese is to participate in Buddhist traditions.

Margaret, a missionary in Japan, found that many Japanese people she spoke to about their beliefs didn't consider themselves religious. Rather, they usually followed the traditions of their family.