Japanese Garden

Religion in Japan is dominated by Shinto and by Buddhism. According to surveys carried out in 2006 and 2008, less than 40% of the population of Japan identifies with an organized religion: around 35% are Buddhists, 3% to 4% are members of Shinto sects and derived religions, and from fewer than 1% to 2.3% are Christians.Most of the Japanese pray and worship ancestors and gods at Shinto shrines or at private altars, while not identifying as Shinto or Shintoist in surveys. This is because these terms have little meaning for the majority of the Japanese, or because they define membership in Shinto organizations or sects. The term religion itself in Japanese culture defines only organized religions . People who identify as non-religious in surveys actually mean that they do not belong to any religious organization, even though they may take part in Shinto rituals and worship.Some scholars, such as Jun'ichi Isomae and Jason Ānanda Josephson, have challenged the usefulness of the term religion in regard to Japanese traditions, arguing that the Japanese term and concept of religion is an invention of the 19th century. However, other scholars, such as Hans Martin Kramer and Ian Reader, regard such claims as overstated and contend that the terms relate to terminology and categorizations that existed in Japan prior to the 19th century.
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