Torii Gates and the Gospel
The Way, Truth, and Life?
Howdy folks, a little different blog post today. If you know me well, you know that it’s no secret that I have a heart for Japan. Growing up, the fondest memories I have were watching anime on Saturday mornings, or staying up until 5am reading (and rereading One Piece). As I've gotten older, my affections for Japan and Japanese culture persisted, but since becoming a Christian in college, my outlook on the country has since shifted. Not that I don’t appreciate Japan - but in a lot of ways my heart breaks for this country.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in men between the ages of 20-44 and women between the ages of 15-34
Japan regularly ranks as one of the loneliest countries in the world. There are an estimated 1.5 million Hikikomoris, or people who have entirely isolated themselves from society, never leaving their homes.
And what is most pressing for me in particular: Japan ranks as the second largest unreached people group (unreached people groups are defined as a group of people that lack Churches who are able to evangelize the rest of the people group without outside help, the standard benchmark most use is if the country has less than 2% Christians). Japan’s Christian population is reported to be 1.5%. The percentage of Protestants is 0.45%. That’s roughly 7000 or so Churches across denominations. In a country with 80,000 shrines. In a country where the vast majority of the population are likely to have a shrine or altar within their homes.
Japan is unique. There are no other, non-Islamic, first-world countries that are considered an unreached people group. Japan is not antagonistic towards Christianity. Christians can freely gather and evangelize in Japan.
So why is there such resistance to the gospel in Japan? Why is Japan regarded by missionaries as a “missionary graveyard”?
A possible answer to the complex question could lie within the cultural heart that shapes and forms the Japanese people: Shintoism.
Shintoism has a formative impact on Japanese' birth, coming of age, New Years, and to one’s death. It greatly shapes and influences the culture of the country, and how they interact with other religious beliefs.
But interestingly, for something so influential, there is no universal definition of Shintoism. Many, especially those in Japan, would not even label Shintoism as a religion.
My hope here is that we would aim to outline, define, and understand what Shintoism is, how it impacts Japanese society, and how the gospel can flourish in a country that desperately needs Christ.
A brief disclaimer: I do not consider myself an expert on Shintoism or Japanese culture by any means. I have put this together after researching various types of sources and perspectives on this particular topic. Anything that I could not substantiate or confidently confirm, I have omitted. I am sure there are various cultural, historical, political, and traditional nuances that I am unaware of!
The Nature of Shintoism
Shintoism is said to have originated in pre-agricultural Japan, from as early as 1000 BC, possibly making it one of the oldest “religions” in human history. There is no central founder figure. There is no canonical text. There is no emphasis on the afterlife, or even ethical codes. As a result, Shintoism varies from region to region, though there are a few consistent aspects across the board which we will focus on.
At the absolute basic level, Shintoism teaches the “way of the kami.” Kami is often translated to god or gods, but a more apt English translation would possibly be spirit. That however is debated among experts as spirit does not fully encapsulate what the Japanese refer to with kami. This is not to say that they do not believe in gods in the polytheistic sense. Japanese mythology does include gods (think Zeus like beings) and at one point in early Shintoism, there were distinctions between heavenly kami and other kami, but Shintoism today is not a worship of a pantheon of gods but rather the practices of worship of spiritual beings who dwell in localized areas. Those other kami are beings that can inhabit anything from trees, rocks, landscapes, and animals. Today, the distinctions between kami are not made, so the term can broadly encapsulate both types. So at its essence, Shintoism is both a polytheistic and animistic “religion”, and should not be categorized as purely one or another.
You may have noticed that I have been parenthesizing “religion” - if you have kudos to you! The reason behind that is really to draw attention to the unique perspective the Japanese have on Shintoism and religion, and how it has a profound ramification on the country's overall perspective towards religion.
Assuming that the majority of those reading this come from America, when you hear about religion, you will probably think about it in terms of belief system. There are core aspects of a faith, you believe it, and follow it.
In Japan, the view of religion is different because Shintoism is very different. In Shintoism, what you believe matters less, what you practice matters more. Obviously there needs to be somewhat of a baseline of belief in kami to participate - but the vast majority of Japanese who participate in Shinto practices do not identify as Shinto, hence the definition of Shinto as a “way” rather than a “belief.”
Shinto expert David Chart notes that “Shinto is not an identity, it is a group of related activities...Some very approximate statistics from the UK and Japan also illustrate the difference well. About 60% of people in the UK identify as Christian, and about 3% actually go to church. On the other hand, about 3% of people in Japan identify as Shinto, and about 60% go to jinja (shrines).” (see tables below)
Essentially, there are no conversions into Shinto, because from a Japanese perspective, it is less of an identity and more of a fundamental tradition and practice. This allows room within Shintoism to practice the “religion”, while simultaneously believing something else!
A prime example of this at play was the integration of Buddhism with Shinto beliefs when it was first introduced in Japan in as early as 300 AD. The view and practice of Shintoism allowed for the syncretic marriage of the two systems which birthed the version of Shintoism that is still widely practiced today. Prior to this integration, the kami where never depicted physically or venerated and it was only after the introduction of Buddhism we begin to see statutes and anthropomorphic depictions of kami.
And beyond Buddhism, Shintoism has influences from Taoism and Confucianism. This is all to demonstrate the nature of Shintoism, that it’s not an identity but a set of practices, allows room for the influence and combination of religious and cultural beliefs which renders belief systems that are exclusive in nature, as functionally incompatible. In other words, a possible reason for the modern day resistance to Christianity could be that because Shintoism has shaped how the people view beliefs as unexclusive to one another and can be either practiced simultaneously or integrated into one another. This can be observed in the Japanese’ birth, marriage, and death. A common saying of Japan, is that “a Japanese has a Shinto birth, has a Christian marriage, and has a Buddhist funeral.”
It is important to note that the average Japanese, likely participates in Shinto practices without believing in anything. Given the nature of Shintoism, it is hard to truly gauge the atheistic nature of Japan, but it’s reported that Japan is anywhere from 20%-40% atheistic. Take these statistics with a grain of salt as it is simply too difficult to narrow down. It would be accurate to state that even among those who practice Shintoism, they would likely be superstitious rather than religious (in the belief system sense as in Christianity).
Clearly there are foundational differences between Shintoism and Christianity. But if Shintoism is marked by “the way” rather then beliefs, lets take a look at those practices which constitute Shintoism.
Jinja Shintoism
There are 4 (some say 3), major categories of Shintoism. There is the imperial Shinto, the Jinja Shinto (Shrine Shintoism), the Sect Shinto, and the folk Shinto. Jinja Shinto is the most predominate and common form so that is what we will take a look at together.
As previously stated, there are plenty of variations when it comes to region to region, the following is generally present in most Jinjas across Japan.
Structure of a Jinja (courtesy of Wikipedia ha)
Torii – Shinto gate
Stone stairs
Sandō – the approach to the shrine
Chōzuya or temizuya – place of purification to cleanse one's hands and mouth
Tōrō – decorative stone lanterns
Kagura-den – building dedicated to Noh or the sacred kagura dance
Shamusho – the shrine's administrative office
Ema – wooden plaques bearing prayers or wishes
Komainu – the so-called "lion dogs", guardians of the shrine
Haiden – oratory or hall of worship
Tamagaki – fence surrounding the honden
On the roof of the haiden and honden are visible chigi (forked roof finials) and katsuogi (short horizontal logs), both common shrine ornamentations.
To outline the practices associated with Shinto, we will spend our time focused on the Torii, the stairs and Sandō, Chōzuya or temizuya, Komainu, Haiden, and Honden.
Torii are the wooden gates that you see all throughout Japan (and depicted at the very beginning of this post). They serve as a physical indication of a sacred space. It is common practice to bow before entering and exiting in the direction of the Jinja as a sign of reverence towards the kami. Torii’s function as the door to the Jinja, with some believing that it is an entrance into the spiritual world. The superstition is that if you enter through a specific torii, you must exit through the same one or you will be trapped in that realm. It is not uncommon for some Japanese to bypass the torii if they feel too unclean for the Jinja or if they are exiting through a different area. Another practice regarding the gates are that one must not enter and exit through the middle, but on either side. The middle is reserved for the kami. In a physical and spiritual sense, the torii is the start of “the way” of Shintoism.
Following the torii, are a set of stone stairs that very in size and length. In some cases, these stairs are notoriously long and steep. Jinja’s are typically located on mountains or places that are elevated as a means to represent the holiness of the space. Those who enter walk on one side just as they entered the torii and the long ascension of the stairs function as a purification of the body and mind. The stone stairs are the first step in the Sandō, or the path towards the Shrine.
Once the ascension is completed, guests are met with either a Chōzuya or temizuya, which are water basins with ladles for the purpose of purification. All guests are supposed to use the ladle to purify their hands and mouth and there they must also purify the ladle they use before returning it.
Continuing along the Sandō, you will be met by a pair of Komainu before the Haiden. The komainu are lion-dogs that “guard” the entrance to the haidan which is the place of public oratory worship. The lion-dogs are said to originate from China’s Fu-Dogs but they are meant to repel evil spirits and the like from the place of worship.
The haiden is where all of the ceremonial aspects of Shintoism take place which are facilitated by Shinto priests called Shinshoku (translated to god’s employee). Typical engagement on a trip to a shrine would entail the guest to bow, toss a coin, ring a bell 2-3 times signaling to the kami of your presence, a series of bows and claps and prayer to the kami, finally concluding with a deep bow.
Following the offering and prayer, visitors can purchase Ema (plaques where you can write prayers and hang them up so that the kami can answer them) and omikuji (fortunes ranging from great blessings to great curses). It is very common for students to visit specific Jinja’s prior to big exams for luck and good fortune. There are Jinja’s that specialize in certain fortunes such as relationships, wealth, and success. A common time where people come to Jinja’s are on New Years, to ring in the new year with aid from the kami.
The final notable part of the Jinja is the Honden. This is the holiest building in the entire Shrine, as it houses the go-shintai or the body of the kami. Essentially it’s the “conduit” or “resting place” that the kami dwells within and it is usually an artifact like a mirror or sword. In certain cases, there may not be a honden or go-shintai, such as a specific natural landscape like a mountain, river, or waterfall. The kami is said to dwell in those rather a physical object. In this holiest place, only the Chief Priest or Gūji is allowed in and view the go-shintai.
To summarize, the essence of Jinja Shintoism is the purification of ones self, ascent towards the kami and worship of the kami in order to receive blessing or answered prayers.
Shinto Shrine and the Tabernacle?
If you are familiar with the Bible, specifically the Old Testament, as you were following the description of the Jinja, you may have noticed how eerily similar to the Hebrew Tabernacle. This was one of the connections that I have noticed that compelled me to research and put this together. And I’m not the only one who observed these similarities! See below for a comparison of the two structures:
A few similarities:
There is a centralized gate or door into the space
In the courts of the space, there are wash basins (Laver and the Temizuya) for the sake of washing before making offering
There is a separation between two holy spaces (Holy of Holies and the Holy place vs. the Honden and Haiden)
The tabernacle was the iteration of God’s dwelling place that was temporary and was able to be moved. Early Shinto shrines prior to the integration of Buddhism was temporary and were set up to invite kami to dwell in.
The following iteration of the tabernacle was the Temple which was a fixed location on mount Zion. Shinto shrines post Buddhist integration were generally in fixed locations, generally located on elevated spaces or on mountains.
There is a implicit need to purify one’s self before participation - in Judaism it’s through sacrifice, in Shintoism it’s through the ascending and water purification.
There is a priesthood system in both, with only the High Priest being allowed in the Holiest part of each.
In the original tabernacle and Temple, the Holiest of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant, in which the presence of God was to dwell. In the Shrines, there are the go-shintai is said to house kami.
A key difference between the two is that in Shintoism, there is no sacrificial system. Regarding that, a key function of the Jewish High Priest was to make a yearly intercessory sacrifice on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. Another obvious difference is that there are many kami whereas the Tabernacle was made to worship God.
In the Bible, the storyline of the Bible from start to finish is about God dwelling with His people, in right relationship with Him. Starting with the Garden, man was created to be in His presence, to obey Him, to steward creation well. But because of the fall in Genesis 3, man was expelled from God’s presence. Sin caused the separation between God and man. The Bible points to the story of the one who would reverse that separation and reconcile God with man once again. And the way in which that is hinted towards and expounded throughout the Bible is through the motif of the dwelling place of God.
From the garden, it was the tabernacle, then the Temple, then the Church (God’s people) and finally the New Heavens and New Earth where God will dwell and be with His people forever. All the iterations serve to point to man’s sinfulness, God’s holiness, and the person and work of Jesus, who Himself would be our great High Priest and provide himself as the once and for all sacrifice that would purify, redeem, and reconcile His people to Himself. So that His people will dwell with Him in His presence.
Now why in the world does the Shinto shrine seem to have hints of the tabernacle? It’s half way across the world, when there should have been little to no contact between the two cultures? This is an idea i’d like to explore in the future but I think it has something to do with the concept of general revelation. General revelation is the concept that the revelation or knowledge of God is available to men of all time everywhere, through observable means, whether its through nature, philosophy, or human reasoning. However in man’s sin, we reject all the signs that there is one true living God so general revelation alone is not enough to come to a saving faith in Jesus (see Romans 1-3).
General revelation could explain the result of a seemingly similar manner of worship in Shintoism, as well as the distortion and bent from the Tabernacle. The early Japanese could have come to some conclusion that there was a God and a means to relate and approach him, but in sinful distortion, they came to worship the creation and creature (kami) rather than the creator. There is another possibility that I find interesting but of course there is nothing conclusive and I feel that it would detract from the main point of this post (happy to address it in a future post).
The key point that I am trying to make here, Shintoism of course in the lenses of Christianity is idolatry and false worship of false spiritual beings. Regardless if the Japanese believe that kami actually exist, the act of this worship is to be rejected. However, Shintoism does provide a baseline that can translate the gospel on terms and concepts that the Japanese understand!
Built into Shintoism is the understanding that one must be purified to approach the Holy and that the Holy is set apart in can dwell on earth. Christians and missionaries can use this as a means to preach the gospel, that some of these concepts are but shadows (albeit highly distorted shadows) that ultimately point to the substance which is Christ (Col 2:17). Obviously this would come with many clarifications and qualifications, I am not advocating for syncretism or mixing of Christianity and Shintoism, but I believe that as much of a road block Shintoism provides, it also provides us a way to minister to a country that needs Christ.
“The way to kami” in a lot of ways is descriptive of Christianity. However the true way is the person of Jesus, not through the red Torii gates. It’s only through the scarlet blood of Christ that one can come to the true and living God. Jesus says of Himself, ““I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).