Japanese Views on Religion
As I’ve written before, Japanese people’s views on religion are quite different from those of people overseas.
I feel that people overseas have very clear views on religion and very strong faith.
I felt this especially strongly in Malaysia, where I lived for several months.
As you know, Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country, and when I first visited, I was surprised every day.
It was my first time seeing an Islamic country, and its culture and customs were the complete opposite of those in Japan.
As a Japanese person, the strict religious rules and the deep faith of the people were all new experiences for me.
The majority of Japanese people claim to be non-religious.
Even among those who claim to be non-religious, the majority become Christians at Christmas and Buddhists at New Year’s.
I believe faith is important.
Unfortunately, in Japanese society, talking about politics and religion in public is often perceived as strange.
Overseas, it’s common to see locals casually discussing politics and religion in cafes and restaurants.
I envy people overseas who can talk freely about politics and religion.
Japanese society is a very unique one, where people arbitrarily self-censor and apply group pressure.
