Buddhist Reactions to Christianity in Early Japan

7/29/2019 Buddhist Reactions to Christianity in Early Japan

1/8

Lawrence Collins

14 March 2013

Japanese CM160

Buddhist Reactions to Christianity in Early Japan

The status and acceptance of Christianity in Japan has had a long and dichotomous

history. Though initially permitted and even advocated by high-ranking government

officials, Christians and Christianity, as well as Westerners in general, began to be

persecuted and nearly disappeared from Japanese society completely. The causes

for the change of tolerance of Christianity include societal, political, and economical

pressures, all of which were ultimately influenced by the religious traditions of

Japan. Text used in exploring the issue of the status of Christianity and other

religions in pre-modern (-1886) Japan include Bowrings The Religious Traditions of

Japan: 500-1600, EarhartsJapanese Religion: Unitiy and Division, FujitasJapans

Encounter with Christianity, as well as Tanigawas article, National Character and

Religion. These sources, withJapans Encounter with Christianitybeing the most

exhaustive and methodical, evaluate the status of Christianity in Japan, as well as the

primarily Buddhist rejection of Christianity.

Primarily focusing on Buddhism, Richard Bowrings The Religious Traditions

of Japan: 500-1600 shows the history and change of Buddhism in Japan, as well as its

integration with Confucianism and Shinto. With regard to Christianity, Bowring

dedicates a small portion near the texts end to Christianity. Bowring touches briefly

on the experiences of the first priests to come to Japan, starting with Jesuit Francis

Xavier, Francisco Cabral, and Alessandro Valignano. Though Bowring ends his

analysis at the start of the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1585), almost completely


2/8

Collins 2

overlooking the reign of Oda Nobunaga, Bowring elaborates on two critical

Japanese/Buddhist responses to the introduction of Christianity. The local daimys

(feudal lords) only accepted the Westerners, Xavier and his associates, initially as

they wished to trade with the Europeans, and permitted Xavier to preach (Bowring

431). Secondly, the cultural and religious differences between the Europeans and

Japanese made the missionaries task difficult, with Cabral claiming the Japanese to

be conceited, covetous, inconstant, and insincere, making it difficult to convert

them to Christianity. (432) Though Valignano was able to alleviate the cultural

divide by educating the missionaries on Japanese customs, the doctrinal differences

between Christianity and Buddhism, and its integration with other religions in

Japan, proved to be an ongoing cause of rejection by many Japanese.

InJapanese Religion: Unity and Diversity, Earhart too offers a comprehensive

overview of the variety and complexities of Japanese religions. Focusing on the

Christian Century (1549-1650), Earharts analysis of Christianity in Japan

elaborates in greater detail the conflicting view of Christianity, especially by the

constantly changing government. Some of the initial attraction to Christianity for

Japanese, especially to the bushi (warrior class), included both a self-sacrificing

ideal and an uncompromising moral code that was highly valued by the bushi, as

well as the guarantee for salvation, which was attractive for the non-warriors

(Earhart 118). In attempt for greater cohesion and acceptance of Christianity, the

Jesuit priests only exposed the Japanese to Roman Catholicism, not revealing the

contemporary Protestant division within the Church. The shogun (general) of Japan

during the second half of the 16th century was Oda Nobunaga, who allowed


3/8

Collins 3

Christianity to be preached in Japan, not as an act of promoting the foreign religion,

but as an opposition to Buddhism, which he felt to be a threat to his rule, who went

as far as to kill the monks and others associated with the Tendai school of Buddhism

at Mount Hiei in 1571 (120). When Toyotomi gained control of Japan, he began to

eliminate his religious opponents, both Christian and Buddhist. Fearing that the

Christians were plotting to take control of Japan and that loyalties to the Christian

God would undermine his authority, Toyotomi forbade the practice of Christianity.

Toyotomis successor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, began the deportation of Christians, and

his descendants would begin the persecution and execution of Christians, both non-

Japanese and Japanese, forcing Christianity to become a secret religion in Japan.

Earhart concludes with the juxtaposition of Buddhism and Christianity, to which

though Buddhism, like Christianity, began as a foreign religion and adopted

Japanese traits whereas Christianity did not become Japanized to the extent that it

could be considered a Japanese tradition (122) by the masses and remained a

foreign religion.

Dr. Tanigawas article, National Character and Religion, explores the

Japanese identity from the perspective of the many religions of Japan. Comparing

and contrasting various facets of Shinto, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity,

Tanigawa demonstrates the influences and effects of these religions with each other,

and how they are, or are not, able to integrate together in Japanese society. On

Buddhism, Tanigawa mentions the integration of Buddhism and Shinto as a result of

the governments effort to maintain the divine ordination ofthe Emperors rule. This

allowed the spread of Buddhism as the state religion while simultaneously not


4/8

Collins 4

usurping the power from Shinto-based institutions (e.g. the Emperors ancestry).

The importance of ancestor worship in Japanese Buddhism is also discussed. This

tradition (as explained further in Fujitas text) was an important factor on

Japaneses acceptance (or rather rejection) of Christianity, with ones ancestors

being an integral part of the Japaneses religious life. For Christianity, Tanigawa

outlines many of the differences, as well as some similarities, between Christianity

and other Japanese religions. The concepts ofkamis (deities) and Buddhas in

Japanese religions vastly differed from the Christian idea of God. The Shinto account

of the creation of Japan, which ultimately established the Imperial family line, and

the potential for humans to become a Buddha, likewise causes dissention between

the Japanese religions and Christianity. Despite strife with Japanese nationalism,

based on the Shinto identity of the Emperor as a kami and Japan as a sacred land,

and Christianity, some such as Kanz Uchimura view the attractiveness of

Christianity to Japanese culture, such as that Christ and his disciples could be

regarded as models for the warrior (Tanigawa 13), similarly as it was seen by some

during the pre-modern era, as a way of integrating Christianity with Japanese

thought, as Buddhism had been previously, and that the differences are not

insurmountable for the Japanese.

Neil S. Fujitas text,Japans Encounter with Christianity, is a thorough

examination of the political, social, historical, and religious state of Christian

missionaries in Japan beginning in the mid-sixteenth century until Japan entered the

modern era in the middle of the nineteenth century. This text not only provides the

historical works of the individuals, but detailed and extensive biographical


5/8

Collins 5

information as well. Presented chronologically, Encounterbegins with the mission of

Francis Xavier, the first missionary to Japan. His work in Japan is well documented,

from his initial difficulties with the suspicious Japanese to his success mission until

his departure from Japan, and Xavier is among the most significant individuals

presented in Encounters. Xaviers successors too had great success in spreading

Christianity, including gaining favor from officials such as Oda Nobunaga. Fujita

ends each chapter of his text with a comprehensive summary of the aforementioned

information, detailing the key points of the missionaries in Japan. Once Toyotomi

Hideyoshi took power of Japan, various factors led to the increase of opposition

towards Christianity. Fujita outlines the various regulations and religious/cultural

causes for said opposition in great detail, creating specific categories and

subcategories for each cause. Among the causes for such opposition include the

perceived forced conversion towards Christianity, the destruction of Shinto shrines

and Buddhist temples, and that Japan is a shinkoku (country of gods) (Fujita 112-

114). These and other causes were based in opposition to traditional Japanese/

Buddhist teachings and traditions. The destruction of religious sites and symbols

was thought of as being sacrilegious towards the respective religions, and the belief

that Japan is a shinkoku, originating from Shinto, is a synthesis from the three

religions of Japan, which was seen as incompatible/irreconcilable with Christianity.

The concept oftenka (all under heaven), that Japan and its leaders were under the

governance of divine rule, again a synthesis between Shinto, Buddhism, and

Confucianism, too was used as justification for the resistance towards Christianity.


6/8

Collins 6

Resentment would escalate leading to Tokugawa Ieyasus rule, which would begin

the era of the outlawing and persecution of Christianity in Japan.

The second-half of Earharts text revolves around the persecution and

struggles of Christians during the Tokugawan rule. As Tokugawas life and rule was

greatly impacted by Buddhism, Tokugawas distrust resided solely on Christianity

and the foreign Westerners. Ieyasus descendants would begin an era of mass

persecution and executions of Christians, both foreign and Japanese. The

culmination of many theological and intellectual debates between Christian priests

and religious leaders, including Buddhist and Confucianists, demonstrated the

cultural and religious differences between the Japanese and the Westerners. Citing

the perceived intolerance/segregation of Christianity, and other, again perceived,

anti-Japanese doctrine such as Christianitys only recent arrival to Japan, increased

hostility amongst Buddhists and other religious leaders. Ultimately, the Tokugawa

government would expel and execute all foreign missionaries in Japan, leaving only

Japanese Christian who by 1650 would keep their faith hidden under threat of

torture and death. The few remaining Japanese Christians continued their faith and

practices in hiding, as discovery of their Christian faith would lead to torture and

death. In attempt to remove remaining remnants of Christianity from Japan, they

people would have to register with a local Buddhism temple, renouncing

Christianity in the process, and though many registered to avoid persecution, many

would secretly include Christian symbols and traditions within their Buddhist relics

and practices such as hiding crosses behind statues of Buddha. Only after Japan

opened its borders again to the West, and under international pressure, were


7/8

Collins 7

Christians slowly allowed to reveal themselves, who though continued their beliefs

and practices without influence from the West, had slowly changed Christianity that

new missionaries to Japan were initially unsure if the Christians in Japan were

following Christianity. Fujita concludes his text with a summarization of the text,

reemphasizing the various differences between the Japanese cultural and religious

perspective of many issues and Christianity, creating a comprehensive, thorough

text in and of itself.

Despite initial acceptance and spreading throughout Japan, Christianity faced

severe political, social, and religious opposition. The three religions practiced in

Japan, Shinto, Confucianism, and Buddhism had been synthesized and melded

together into a cohesive, singular Japanese thought. The perceived incompatibility of

Christianity with this Japanese thought, and the subsequent Japanese culture and

society as a whole, led to Christianity continuous status as a foreign religion, despite

Buddhism and Confucianism also being originally from a foreign origin. The several

texts on Japanese religion and Christianity in Japan highlight and contrast this

turbulent and even violentstate of Christianitys status in Japanese society. To

many, the cultural and doctrinal differences gave justification for the persecution

and execution of those who did not integrate their religious beliefs and practices

with the accepted, conventional teachings, which in itself was a reflection of the

Japanese religious convention. The state of Christianitys role in Japanese religious

life often was in opposition to the conventional teachings of the varied, yet

singularized, religions of Japan and the Japanese culture as a whole. The three

centuries long status of Christianity evolved from initial acceptance, to rejection, to


8/8

Collins 8

eventually slowly being reintroduced to Japanese society at the beginning of the

modern era.

Works Cited

Bowring, Richard. The Religious Traditions of Japan: 500-1600. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.

Earhart, H. Byron.Japanese Religion: Unity and Diversity. 3rd edition. Belmont,

California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1982. Print.

Fuijita, Neil S.Japan's Encounter with Christianity. Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist

Press, 1991. Print.

Tanigawa, Tetsuzo. "The National Character and Religion." Contemporary Religions

in Japan. 1.2 (1960): 1-15. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.

Documents

Buddhist Reactions to Christianity in Early Japan