Religion

On the issue of experiencing religion in Japan, I haven’t encountered much at all. In fact, I’ve rarely heard religion discussed, if at all, during the past two months.

The biggest show of religion here, that I have experienced, is the amount of shrines littered throughout the eastern and northeastern side of Morioka. People participate in the festivals held by shrines, offer their prayers, and enjoy the festivities. But that’s it. When it’s happening, it feels more like ritual and tradition than due to religious beliefs in a higher power: Perhaps superstition more so than faith? I sometimes wonder if they’re doing it out of tradition, with the hope that there is potentially something out there, or because they actually believe in the legends/myths/religion of the visited shrine.

Surprisingly, there are a few churches in Morioka of the Christian faith. The majorities are Catholic and I think the one Protestant church is Methodist. Either way, I’ve never seen people exit or enter said buildings. This may be in part due to wrong timing and I hope to attend one by the end of the year. I would like to see how a Japanese service is structured. 

Interesting to note, I thought there were two huge cathedrals downtown and assumed , ‘wow, there a LOT of Christians here!” But my host mother later informed me these structures were simply for marrying and had no religious connotations whatsoever.