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Japanese Buddhism in the Home
 Buddhism is generally thought to have arrived in Japan, by way of Korea,
sometime during the 6th century AD. This new religion (new to the Japanese
at least) was quickly adopted by the ruling classes as well as the common folk,
and over the next several centuries many Buddhist temples were established
throughout the country. At the beginning of the Edo period (1600 - 1868)
the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa (pictured at right) determined that Buddhism
should be adopted as the official state religion and that all Japanese should
each year publicly declare their Buddhist faith. This was done largely in
an effort to counter the influence of Christianity, which the Shogun feared
might threaten the authority of his new government. Two generations later
Ieyasu's grandson the third Tokugawa Shogun further declared that the country of Japan should be closed to the
outside world, with only limited contact allowed with the Dutch and Chinese at
select ports (this condition was to remain in effect for over 200 years!).
Around this time many Japanese began to install small Buddhist altars called
butsudan in their homes. Some scholars believe that this may have been
done, in part, as a means to further demonstrate their faith in Buddhism and
thus avoid any problems with the local authorities who were charged with
enforcing the State's prohibition against other religions. The practice
of maintaining a household butsudan caught on, and the custom has
developed and persisted to modern times. Many Japanese households today
feature a large or small butsudan as well as one or more small Shinto
(native religion of Japan) shrines (also called zushi*) in their home.
This is especially true with large, traditional households where these religious
items often serve as the centerpiece of daily life.
  In
my wife's (Japanese) family's home there is a large butsudan situated
prominently in the main living area (see photo at left). Mounted on the
wall above the butsudan is a small Shinto zushi, (photo below)
with another small zushi in the kitchen. Many Japanese also keep a
zushi somewhere in the garden facing the home. While the
butsudan acts as a private Buddhist temple for the home (it is also thought
to enshrine the spirits of the ancestors), each zushi is, in fact, a
miniature Shinto shrine housing its own little household deity. These
religious items are not strictly for show, as many Japanese (particularly older
Japanese) incorporate the care and reverence of the butsudan and zushi
as an important and integral part of their daily routine. Each morning for
example, my wife's parent's engage in an important worship routine which must be
performed before any other household tasks (including breakfast) are undertaken.
In this ritual my mother-in-law prepares offerings of rice (the first scoops
from
the cooker of course) and fresh water which are then delivered by her husband to
the butsudan as well as to each household zushi.
Prayers are
then uttered with clasped hands at each station. This practice is repeated
again in the evening, each and every day, without fail. In addition my
mother-in-law carefully tends and replaces the butsudan's special
flower
arrangement as well as the green foliage arrangements which are placed before
each zushi, replacing the water daily and the flowers each day or so.
The practice of two very different
religions under a single roof may seem odd to
foreigners, however the Japanese see no problem or contradiction at all; as the
Japanese see the practice of Shinto as an integral part of being Japanese and
the following of Buddhist traditions as a way of cultivating their spirit and
tending to the memory and spirit of their deceased ancestors. This fact
demonstrates how successfully Buddhism was adopted by the Japanese who
nevertheless held onto their native Shinto beliefs. Further evidence of
the harmonious co-existence between these religions is evident in the fact that
most Japanese are married in a Shinto shrine yet buried by a Buddhist priest.
* The word "zushi" in Japanese can be used to refer to
any article of worship (Shinto, Buddhist or other).
Research on butsudan and zushi:
- http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/studypages/internal/japan682/ch2.htm7
- http://www.kyoto-teramachi.or.jp/shobido/butsudan-e.html
- http://www1.plala.or.jp/chiaki/newpage5.htm
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