What Japanese Think of Religions (Interview)

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What do Japanese people think about religions? I asked Japanese people what religion they have and what they think of religions around the world.

[@CuriousFear]

>what is your religion >buddhist >what is buddhism >idk

[@UltimatePro777]

Lol, maybe the correct answer is "Buddhist no practican."

[@moon-lo8ic]

I swear only like a handful of Japanese would claim to be Shinto but a fuck ton would actually go to a shrine. We can dip and go to a temple as well.

[@loulou3676]

I was surprised they didn't know Shinto is a Japanese religion. I don't think any country besides Japan practices Shinto

[@ValirAmaril]

It's a Zen thing

[@fernandoxavier6928]

@@UltimatePro777 There's no such thing as "non-practicing" Buddhist, or Christian, or Muslim, or Hindu, or whatever. All religions (all major religions that the whole world knows) are ways of life. One has to try to live accordingly to the teachings of one's religion, and often think about it, read, pray, or meditate, or whatever. If one doesn't even try to understand and practice Buddha's teaching one's just not Buddhist. Period.

Subtitle: Japanese people learn about religion in Japan.

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

lol

[@Masteroftheweb]

Hahahaha

[@JuliusJuukulius]

I agree x)

[@rafaelstephen719]

True

[@vanessaruiz4705]

they don't need to know. Actually, better not knowing.

[@RedFormanOG]

"As a buddhist what do you practice?" "Nothing" That is a zen master answer right there!

[@talkingoutloud9694]

Exactly!

[@Archanfel]

She reached enlightenment.

[@RedFormanOG]

@Abraham Serafino Shhhhh lol

[@6rays660]

Nothingness is peace

[@mcgee227]

@@6rays660 its far beyond that peace is just one effect of emptiness. It means realizing that The Universe as it is is and can only be as it is with out your idea of what it is. There is no self and no free will.

[@roxastrife714]

"So, are you a Buddhist?" "Yesn't"

[@lucaswilker6692]

"Yesn't" the word of the year

[@David20092]

Reply "no" was meant that Buddhs is a humsn like Muhammad, not God per se like Allah or Christ/Trinity. Not beliving in Buddha=\= not following Buddha aa he was teacher who give freedom not god per see. 99% of people in comments secion did not ubderstand that CULTURAL SHOCK but I as Christian got is actuslly and author/camerman guess too :)

[@theknowledge2774]

@@David20092 my request to all brother and sisters all over the world is that plz go back to your scriptures... atleast must follow the one message common written in all scriptures of the UNIVERSE( BY THE HELP OF GOD I MUST GIVE YOU REFERENCES if you want WHETHER IT IS FROM JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY HINDUISM AND BUDHISM)that ALLAH ALMIGHTY (THE GOD,THE CREATOR,THE SUSTAINER,THE SUPREME POWER,THE REAL KING AND THE OWNER OF ALL) IS ONE,and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) IS HIS LAST AND FINAL MESSENGER...!!!to enter into peaceful and lovely life eternally... The truth is clear with logic... please follow for yourself... please prevent yourself from the eternal hellfire by accepting and practising atleast common message of Creator in the religious scriptures of the world....I invite all of you to show me one word of the holy Quran that is against the ethics of humanity...read about Islam...

[@theknowledge2774]

@@lucaswilker6692 my request to all brother and sisters all over the world is that plz go back to your scriptures... atleast must follow the one message common written in all scriptures of the UNIVERSE( BY THE HELP OF GOD I MUST GIVE YOU REFERENCES if you want WHETHER IT IS FROM JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY HINDUISM AND BUDHISM)that ALLAH ALMIGHTY (THE GOD,THE CREATOR,THE SUSTAINER,THE SUPREME POWER,THE REAL KING AND THE OWNER OF ALL) IS ONE,and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) IS HIS LAST AND FINAL MESSENGER...!!!to enter into peaceful and lovely life eternally... The truth is clear with logic... please follow for yourself... please prevent yourself from the eternal hellfire by accepting and practising atleast common message of Creator in the religious scriptures of the world....I invite all of you to show me one word of the holy Quran that is against the ethics of humanity...read about Islam...

[@lucaswilker6692]

@@theknowledge2774 THERE'S ONLY ONE GOD AND HIS PROPHET IS JESUS. TO HELL WITH YOUR RAPIST AND MURDERER PROPHET, A MAN OF LIES, THE FALSE PROPHET PREDICTED IN THE BIBLE. MY RELIGION IS A RELIGION OF PEACE, YOURS A RELIGION OF PAPE, PLUNDER AND MURDER. YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT WELCOME IN OUR PEACEFUL AND BLESSED CHRISTIAN NATIONS. KEEP YOUR STUPID JIHAD GOING FOR WE SHALL REVIVE OUR CRUSADES!

[@IWantToStayAtYourHouse]

In japan, 'religion' like shinto and buddhism are more seen as a way of life rather than an actual religion. This is why noone really thinks about it too much, as it is so embedded into the lifestyle of japan

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

There is actually no real word in Japanese for religion nor God.

[@toja_majkam7947]

@@harrymcnicholas9468 There's no God to begin with

[@jordini3381]

Isn't all religion a way of life, because it teaches how you should treat others and the sort

[@Jotari]

What does kami mean if not god, then?

[@theramendutchman]

​@@Jotari Not exactly, "kami" in your case means spirit more specifically; as in the Shinto life force of a tree or fence is a "kami" all onto itself, without needing a personailty or form. Though people specifically refer to "kami-sama" or "sacred/higher spirit". "Sama" is also used to refer to the Emporer's family as they were originally thought to be sacred offspring as well (actually one of my lecturers back there still believes the Emporer and his family are sacred offspring but oh well) But yes actually, Japanese does have words to say religion (shuukyou) or god (kamisama) with. And for those who say that stringing two words together doesn't make it a new words, Japanese as well as many germanic languages do it all the time so yes it definitely does!

[@SugarFang]

Ahh..the guy that thinks churches look cool, that's how I feel about shrines and temples :P

[@ThatOldSchoolMagic]

f4ngy I think people are more interested in what they don’t commonly see.

[@PeaceDweller]

..As an Indian, I think Temples look cool but Churches in Europe are just the best, especially in France, England or Czech Republic.

[@raquelargallon422]

f4ngy hahaha same

[@yayjuiws4224]

Cathedrals and churches in France specially in Paris looks like a den of an evil villain, and I like it!

[@yayjuiws4224]

Aurinkohirvi Can't argue with that :D

[@denasmaulanarifqi7232]

Japanese people : yes I'm buddhist but actually not

[@miyako1909]

I don't think you understand what Buddhism is.

[@tkg3me]

"Are you a buddhist?" "Yesn't"

[@BruceWayne-qe7bs]

@@tkg3me But Buddism allows you to be an athiest, isn't it?

[@btsismyoxyjin6577]

@@BruceWayne-qe7bs interesting question 🤔I wanna know too

[@BruceWayne-qe7bs]

@@btsismyoxyjin6577 I think it allows. Hinduism, Janism, Buddism allows someone to be athiest. In Hinduism, you can still be a Hindu even if you workship Jesus or Allah.

[@commenter7893]

Man: what’s your religion? Girl: Buddhism Man: Do you believe in Buddha? Girl: No

[@gamebell3806]

Buddha is person, and buddhism is gospel

[@commenter7893]

Game Bell She implied she doesn’t believe in the gospel, thence not Buddhist.

[@BosnaSRBRS]

@commenter78 😂🤣😂😭

[@sulblazer]

This just means you do not have an understanding of Buddhism and why the answer "no" is actually an appropriate response.

[@ragingwarrior8098]

@@gamebell3806 Even if she was christian. Still she wouldn't believe in Jesus. That's why we say Japan is a different planet 😂

[@franzfms86]

My favorite answer was "Going to war over the religion is wrong." Yeah that is totally wrong and it is not good also to us.

[@sebaszt1312]

No shit sherlock

[@emicakes1461]

Sadly it's what is happening in my country (Ireland) although it's more political :(

[@randywilks3208]

@@sebaszt1312 tell that to the islamofascists & fundamentalist christians in the comment section & you will get death threats my friend.

[@vitonice]

world war 1 , word war 2 , by Who ???????? is there islam making WAR ?

[@johnanth]

I would say going to war in general is wrong! It can be justified like to stop tyranny (WW2 is the best example), but this is rare.

[@Zuuh-su7oy]

“Do you believe in Buddha?” “No.” Buddha... was a person that lived he wasn’t a deity lmao.

[@ankokukitsune3905]

That was a translation error, it's just that the English subtitles were wrong for that part. 「仏」is "Buddha", but「仏」also means "spirit of the dead". So basically, he was asking if she believed in Buddhist spirits or even ghosts etc.

[@Zuuh-su7oy]

ankokukitsune ahhh ok that makes more sense.

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

Well I don't and I do not want to see one either.

[@danielantony1882]

@@harrymcnicholas9468 They won't bite your butt, bro. Don't worry.

[@masterp443]

@@ankokukitsune3905 I'm pretty sure the guy who translated his own subtitles knew what he meant dude

[@jcostel27]

Actually, if you think about it, they're all giving answers which are perfectly consistent with Buddhist doctrines of 'emptiness' and 'impermanence'.

[@jcostel27]

@Siyovaxsh En-sipad-zid-ana exactly.

[@MP-cv6if]

Because deep down, Buddhism impacts their society even if they aren't ardent devotees

[@wasanderesalsihrseid]

Buddism is an atheistic religion.

[@ceoofsololeveling45]

Björn hearing the word atheism and religion in the same context is weird.

[@wasanderesalsihrseid]

@@ceoofsololeveling45 But it's not wrong. Religion is a belief system for the metaphysical or transcendent. A God to believe to is not needed. I have the "Buddism is an atheistic religion" from German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. Edit: Yes, hearing it feels really weird

[@kamisama9715]

Girl: I'm a buddhist "What makes you a buddhist?" Girl: *It is what it iss*

[@theknowledge2774]

my request to all brother and sisters all over the world is that plz go back to your scriptures... atleast must follow the one message common written in all scriptures of the UNIVERSE( BY THE HELP OF GOD I MUST GIVE YOU REFERENCES if you want WHETHER IT IS FROM JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY HINDUISM AND BUDHISM)that ALLAH ALMIGHTY (THE GOD,THE CREATOR,THE SUSTAINER,THE SUPREME POWER,THE REAL KING AND THE OWNER OF ALL) IS ONE,and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) IS HIS LAST AND FINAL MESSENGER...!!!to enter into peaceful and lovely life eternally... The truth is clear with logic... please follow for yourself... please prevent yourself from the eternal hellfire by accepting and practising atleast common message of Creator in the religious scriptures of the world....I invite all of you to show me one word of the holy Quran that is against the ethics of humanity...read about Islam...

[@dl5641]

Honestly, it was pretty amazing some of them didn't even know that Shintoism, the one native religion to Japan, was even Japanese. That really says a lot about just how little that sort of thing means to them in daily life.

[@Arepeel]

Daniel Lopez their country was broken apart.. Thats what happened

[@ajrwilde14]

exactly that was shocking, I knew Shintoism was the native religion of Japan from being about 14 when we covered world religions at school; what are they teaching their kids all day long ?!

[@3000_Year_Old_Man]

Shintoism was used to shore up nationalist support when Japan was trying to conquer Asia, so when the US occupied Japan they treated it like nazism or fascism and discouraged it. Shinto has never recovered.

[@MeganizersForever]

they pretty much lost faith in religion after they lost the war

[@nakiankim2012]

It's a blessing that they dont rely on religion to the point of being almost oblivious to it

[@TheKaniamania]

Most Japanese people I know doesn't really care about religion but they do care the spirit of morality. That's interesting...

The traditional Japanese religion, Shinto, is not a vehicle of moral teachings.

[@wms72]

Morality is very important.

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

It varies . A large percentage of Japanese belong to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism school. Many though only show up for weddings and funerals.

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

It depends upon your definition of religion and they do not wear it on their sleeves. Japanese culture is influenced by two religions. Buddhism and Shintoism. Japanese people vary in how they practice both. Some only observe either with weddings and funerals while others are involved in one or both religions. Both Nichiren and Jodo Shinshu have large followings in Japan. Religion just does not affect the political system in Japan like it does the U.S .. Japan is much more like Europe than the U.S. with religion. Christianity was introduced into Japan in the early 17th century but after almost 500 years only 2% of Japanese follow it. Family in Japan plays a much more vital roll in the ethics and morality of the people than religion.

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

What is your definition of religion? Do you consider Buddhism a religion?

[@oh2mp]

If you made similar interview here in Finland, you would get very similar answers. The majority are "technically" christians but very few people actually are religious.

[@juice8431]

No it’s not the same. People in Finland and the nordics in general are pretty sure about their faith. Most Finish people are atheists/agnostic, that’s a fact.

[@bluesdealer]

I feel like this is how a lot of Christians in Western Europe are. They have all the traditions and go through the motions of their religious heritage, but are not devout believers.

[@chinmustache6420]

It’s a bit like that in America, if you’d ask someone if they’re Christian, they might say: “well yeah, I’m American”, without really knowing a thing about doctrine. Some of my Christian friends have said that quite a few people make assumptions about what Christians in general, believe

[@cristinac196]

Still, I dare say that in the USA and even in Western Europe, most people have an idea what their religion is about, what a church is, who are Christ, Mary, God, the relationship between them, that there is such a thing as the 10 commandments (even if they can't recite all) etc.

[@theknowledge2774]

@@cristinac196 my request to all brother and sisters all over the world is that plz go back to your scriptures... atleast must follow the one message common written in all scriptures of the UNIVERSE( BY THE HELP OF GOD I MUST GIVE YOU REFERENCES if you want WHETHER IT IS FROM JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY HINDUISM AND BUDHISM)that ALLAH ALMIGHTY (THE GOD,THE CREATOR,THE SUSTAINER,THE SUPREME POWER,THE REAL KING AND THE OWNER OF ALL) IS ONE,and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) IS HIS LAST AND FINAL MESSENGER...!!!to enter into peaceful and lovely life eternally... The truth is clear with logic... please follow for yourself... please prevent yourself from the eternal hellfire by accepting and practising atleast common message of Creator in the religious scriptures of the world....I invite all of you to show me one word of the holy Quran that is against the ethics of humanity...read about Islam...

[@theknowledge2774]

@@chinmustache6420 my request to all brother and sisters all over the world is that plz go back to your scriptures... atleast must follow the one message common written in all scriptures of the UNIVERSE( BY THE HELP OF GOD I MUST GIVE YOU REFERENCES if you want WHETHER IT IS FROM JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY HINDUISM AND BUDHISM)that ALLAH ALMIGHTY (THE GOD,THE CREATOR,THE SUSTAINER,THE SUPREME POWER,THE REAL KING AND THE OWNER OF ALL) IS ONE,and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) IS HIS LAST AND FINAL MESSENGER...!!!to enter into peaceful and lovely life eternally... The truth is clear with logic... please follow for yourself... please prevent yourself from the eternal hellfire by accepting and practising atleast common message of Creator in the religious scriptures of the world....I invite all of you to show me one word of the holy Quran that is against the ethics of humanity...read about Islam...

[@THELORDVODKA]

@@theknowledge2774 How about no? We've seen what Islam does to people. Quit the spam, especially from Japanese orineted chanel lol

[@stevenv6463]

I had similar conversations in China. "Are you Buddhist?" "No." "Do you go to Buddhist temples?" "Yes." "And you bow to the statues of gods there?" "Yes." "But you aren't Buddhist?" Then they would look at me confused. Now I teach English in Taiwan and had to explain Christian references in Dracula to a group of teenagers. Things like crucifix, sacred wafer and holy water.

[@Kamal-ju6qx]

God statues in buddhist temples in china😂

[@Phosphene_Dream]

Uuhh, well, yea, I’ll bet they did (look at you with some confusion-that is) since while Buddhism is a tradition focused on spiritual liberation, its what you might call a ‘non-theistic’ religion😬. Not a God in sight, if you get my drift.😉In fact the Buddha himself rejected the idea of a creator God, and Buddhist philosophers have even argued that belief in an eternal god is nothing but a distraction for humans seeking enlightenment. So, yea, um Buddhists are Atheists my friend.😁Also, Buddha was actually a real dude that lived sometime between the 4th and 6th century B.C.--But no worries though, and now you know....👌🏼👍🏼✌🏼

[@nayanmalig]

@@Phosphene_Dream Buddha did not reject or endorse a creator God - problem in Buddhism is human suffering - solution is the alleviation of human suffering - which we are responsible for and nobody can give us salvation - according to Buddhism's theory of emptiness and dependent origination, everything must have a previous cause to arise - that is why the first cause of Christian God completely violates Buddhism's core teachings - therefore Buddhism avoids the question of first creation since it will lead to endless previous causes.

[@Jesus.purple]

@James Bamford Jesus is coming. He is the only way +

[@fai-pe7oq]

A ѕυвтlє ιиfιиιту AshleyC. I mean correct me I’m wrong but early Buddhists in India still payed homage to the Hindu gods, and when Buddhism spread across Asia people continued to worship their gods alongside being Buddhist because of its syncretic nature. You’d go to Buddhist temples in many parts of Asia and find statues of the local gods reinterpreted into the Buddhist context. Like in Japan, the Shinto god Bishamon is conflated with Vaisravana and is commonly portrayed as a protector in Buddhist temples in Japan

[@Miimu5210]

Japan has a really mature approach towards religion. Either they don't believe in any religion, or they have one and simply refuse to twist it into fundamentalism. A lot of my Japanese friends are like that; they just don't care about religion. I wish everyone in the world could be so chill.

[@folashocky2735]

Being religious doesn't mean you aren't a chill person.

[@daiichini87]

Indeed. But dont forget its not always been like that. There has been fundamentalism in Japanese buddhism and shinto. But who needs religion in a modern wealthy nation where there are no hostile dominant religions active like Christianity or Islam, that try to get lots of converts and follow there teachings. But im suprissed that i know more about Japan and its culture/religion/tradition then the ones being interviewed. There just like every younsters, not caring about stuff and just live there lives in peace and being entertained.

[@Maya-ls3ky]

Mi Most young people are actually like that Alot of them still believe in God but they have no interest in shoving their head up your ass for thinking this or that about God, the bible, etc. I am glad that Libertarian theism is the future

[@chaeyoungsbestie414]

How is not being religious a "mature approach"? Also, Japan is a great example that atheism doesn't disregard hateful sentiments. Japan committed genocide in the 30s and 40s because they considered themselves to be the best, no necessarily because of religion. Today, they're one of the most homophobic countries in the world and one of the most sexist countries and a country with repressed sexuality. Is any of this because of religion? Nope. Goes to show that religion isn't to blame for a lot of crap that happens.

[@Flash9230]

Chaeng's GF regardless of religion or lack thereof, assholery is universal

[@jgr7487]

it's funny how Western people who study religion tend to think that developed countries have organized religions, while the Japanese has a pool of philosophies & animist religions from which they draw practices for their day-to-day religious lives.

[@conandunn5441]

JoaoG R well said.

[@alexandrian7772]

What developed country has organised religions?

[@breathingsnow55]

Ingram Stevens Pakistan is a failed state.

[@breathingsnow55]

Siyovaxsh En-sipad-zid-ana Lol

[@Maxawsomeness_1995]

Well they have been religious for a long time now it less religious but it does have it benefits and down side cause they do have the highest suicide rate of all country’s and other Asian countries like China have cause disease because they don’t have something or someone to tell them not to eat everything

[@Chengalpattu.4603]

Fun fact: according to indian legends, buddha didn't address himself as 'god'...buddha is more like a life coach..... Luv people around the world from india 🇮🇳 and may we maintain peace ☺️

[@btsismyoxyjin6577]

Woow 😍😍

[@kpopislifeline4445]

Buddha is from Nepal lmao you Indian acting like as it is from there

[@pratisthadevrani2134]

But it is in INDIA if you may read, that he gained his spritual enlightenment and then became BUDDHA from SIDHARTHA 🙏🏻

[@godknowswho1430]

@@Chengalpattu.4603 Wrong Buddha was born in India

[@godknowswho1430]

@@kpopislifeline4445 Sidharth Gautama was born in Nepal, Buddha was born in Gaya, India.

[@user-if9xr9mi1j]

You should have included older people in your interviews

[@PCWorld2ady]

Agreed, they would have a better opinion of what religion is and they might give us some insight about how people were in 70s, 80s and 90s in terms of religion and rituals..etc

[@viniciusmorais66]

In japan old generation tend to be more religeous than young generation because they kow they are getting close to death. They are preparing for afterlife.

[@soltylaura1]

I'm agree with you, maybe the old people know more as in our countries because they're more close to the traditions and nowadays the young aren't too much.

[@teleleleleletvxliitay4587]

Wwwcraftsw but I think it will be hard to ask older people to do interview and maybe Yuta is comfortable asking people around the age or younger than him

[@rf.t.s1580]

Indeed. The youth, all over the world are beeing pushed into the new.. Religion is not an important factor anymore since the morals has changed, in the West definitely is.

[@aleflippy1997]

"Japanese people selfishly rely on gods to pass exams and stuff" Oh don't worry, that's the case for many people actually. (Nice video Yuta! ;-) )

[@Shijaru64]

How dare the non-existent god I bothered to pray to only when convenient not answer my prayers to justify my laziness!? Preposterous!!

[@aleflippy1997]

I'm not saying it's a good thing to do, nor a normal one. But that's the honest and sad truth. I don't find many people really devoted to religion anymore. Most people are either believers due to their parents or society , or believers by interest only... It's easy to ask the higher powers to be cured, to pass or to become rich, but highly hypocrite too. On a personal level, I consider myself spiritual but not religious. I don't believe in any god, while I don't say they couldn't exist either. So no, I don't actually ask for help when things go south. I just complain ~~~

[@handi_chun597]

i'm Buddhist more so like japanese people even thought i'm not.. but from my perspective it's normal and i don't think God was really need to be praised because even we did/n't God still so mighty..

[@1aa2aa3GiRl]

I see nothing wrong with that. Even if you don’t think there is something god-like, you can’t know 100%. So you still like to have faith and ask for help if something really was up there. I think that’s good.

[@waveplay3978]

Buddhism in my country (Mongolia) is practiced in the most selfish way I've ever seen people practice their religion. People here will consciously act counter to the teachings of the Buddha all the while planning to go to the temple to have a lama (buddhist monk) read from the scripture so as to "cleanse" their karma after the fact. It's pathetic. Buddhism in my country is a business, monks are service workers and karma is a currency.

[@nayanahirrao3480]

Rest of the world: people are Cristian, muslim, hindu, atheist, sikh, jain, etc But in Japan: people are atheist, Buddhists, Cristian and confusion etc. 😜😜😜😜😜

[@russiakavladmir3531]

They've build big building but are empty on life. Not moral policing, just my feelings.

[@muhammadjuansyarin1596]

@@russiakavladmir3531 They dont believe with heaven or hell and god

[@somethingcreativ235]

never met a japanese christian tbh. met a muslim one though

[@nandhakishor103]

Very few christians

[@user-wo9en5pq8y]

@@muhammadjuansyarin1596 No most of japanse brlieve in heaven and hrll, god, but they are atheist.

[@shibatarie_mania]

どれも信じていないからこそ、どれにでも寛容になれる。

[@kylejohnson6061]

Wow imagine that. A place where people can talk about religion without hate speech profanity or hostile silence. I love Japan

[@TheKingOfCurses98]

Love you too😊❤️

[@TygerTigerable]

Yeah the lack of "my religion is so intrinsic to everything about me & my world view, whether I know much about it or not, that other people must worship the same or be alien to me and my concepts of kindness, consideration and respect" attitude is wild

[@berkovl7226]

A country without religion, no obstacles

[@IgnorablePanda]

You love it because you really don't know it, i work in Tokyo as game dev since 2009, it's true that most of the people won't kill each other in the name of god or something, but their behaviour, their speech, what they call liberty, it's all self-referred; there's no real knowledge about the rest of the world, it's just Japan for them. They are very close minded (apart for those who join international schools/communities) and far more strict than the Islam they (think to) know, the only difference is the lack of god itself. As a foreigner i enjoy my stay, especially because my incomes are super good, but if you're a native, Japan('s society) is a hell portrayed as paradise and you'll most likely hit the wall in your old days, where the lack of sympathy towards the elders or weaks, that usually religion would teach, is totally MIA.

[@IgnorablePanda]

@Twin Turbine You've assumed so much from a few lines, put your perspective above everything's else, accused of being prejudicial while "eeeeh Europeans here, Europeans there111!! Americans?! Even worse!!", overall behaving like a salty, belligerant crazy ass bitch... And i'm the ignorant, with dismissive and arrogant thinking. Ok my dude, sure, whatever, it's fine, ok, uhm, yeah...

[@danielquick7541]

Could you ask what Japanese people think about visible tattoos, i.e. arms, legs, etc?

[@FoxYinnyy]

Daniel Quick Yes! An updated version about Western Asians with Tattoos!

[@Masteroftheweb]

As I understand it, tattoos are associated with gang activity, and thus are looked down upon.

[@Mari-hb5do]

what Masteroftheweb said. although if you go to cities like Tokyo or Osaka, younger generations have started to realize that most foreigners who have them do it for the style, or it has a special, personal meaning to them. it’s towards their own they usually frown more upon because they immediately assume they’re from the yakuza or something

[@danielquick7541]

Thanks, I would still love to see him do a video about it though.

[@dany98dee]

yess! and maybe ask them about piercings or weird hair colors etc as well

[@anonymouscrank]

My dad, born in 1932, told me a cute story from his childhood in NYC. On Sunday mornings, a little Japanese girl would sometimes come to his family's apartment and ask "Has Matty gone to mass?" His older brothers teased him about his Japanese "girlfriend." So, there was at least one Japanese Catholic family living on Manhattan's East Side on the eve of WW2.

[@user-jr5nm4yl3i]

日本人もかなりスピリチュアル的な習慣や考え方を持ってるのに全く自覚してないのが面白い

[@nikk-wf3wg]

それw

[@theknowledge2774]

@@nikk-wf3wg my request to all brother and sisters all over the world is that plz go back to your scriptures... atleast must follow the one message common written in all scriptures of the UNIVERSE( BY THE HELP OF GOD I MUST GIVE YOU REFERENCES if you want WHETHER IT IS FROM JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY HINDUISM AND BUDHISM)that ALLAH ALMIGHTY (THE GOD,THE CREATOR,THE SUSTAINER,THE SUPREME POWER,THE REAL KING AND THE OWNER OF ALL) IS ONE,and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) IS HIS LAST AND FINAL MESSENGER...!!!to enter into peaceful and lovely life eternally... The truth is clear with logic... please follow for yourself... please prevent yourself from the eternal hellfire by accepting and practising atleast common message of Creator in the religious scriptures of the world....I invite all of you to show me one word of the holy Quran that is against the ethics of humanity...read about Islam...

[@maxit45eto80]

@@theknowledge2774 big fact, but they see all time the bad think of islam thats why they say its scary or somethinge. I just feel bad for them and they feel bad for us, what i can say bro

[@gustyko8668]

Maybe because these were very "city people"...perhaps if you had asked some "country people", their answers could have been different...probably!!

[@38-jishjilson89]

Most of Japan's population is urban

[@BijinMCMXC]

This is what MOST Japanese people think. By and large Japan is non religious/atheistic. Of course there are some actual religious people but they are the minority.

[@feylights166]

I wouldn't say atheist in the way we think of the term, per se. It's just not something they think about. The idea of what constitutes as "divine" is different than what we would think of. Shrines and temples are everywhere in Japan, and many Japanese will go through rituals that stem from "religious" practices, and there is still a concern for ancestral spirits and things. Historically, the Japanese were Shinto/Bhuddist, and many of those practices are still embedded in daily life, but it isn't seen as religious. When the Japanese encountered western religions, they tried to come up with a word in their language for it. Christianity at one time was seen as a heretical form of Bhuddism, so western religions used to be classified as heresy, rather than a religion. The verb "oshie", which now means "to teach" historically had heavy Bhuddist connotations, and they used "oshie" before coming up with "shukyo".

[@feylights166]

Also (adding because I started reading the book Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime, and Religion in Contemporary Japan), many young Japanese are more likely to admit a belief in spirits, the afterlife, or deities than they are to affiliate with an actual religion.

[@moon-lo8ic]

Were more agnostic (you could say?). We may or may not believe in a God(s). Religion is just something that doesn't define us.

[@aleflippy1997]

I'd add about the fact that they are not as religious as many of us thought... We probably thought so because we see lots of mythical characters,creatures and gods portrayed in Japanese culture (games, mangas,movies...) . But that's something that is very common in the West as well! Religious or not, most of us probably heard at least some of the most famous tales and characters. Either from Greek,Egyptian,Norse mythology... Or even Christianity and Islam to talk about something still believed in today. It shaped our culture and history, even if we may not believe in it anymore. Probably the same for Japanese people : hence why we still hear about "Amaterasu" or "Oni" in games.

[@mightyhadi6132]

well being an atheist it doesn't mean you don't believe and do not follow the way of life of certain ideology , and yest believe in something and following some moral are the same with following religion and have some faith. The difference is atheism are called new religion that believe on something beside supernatural being.

[@ThePeacePlant]

Maybe with the older generation, they may have these beliefs. Ask any young one anywhere in the world and most will say the same thing that we heard in this video

[@PongoXBongo]

Atheism is not a religion. It is a lack of belief in any god or gods (a-theist), no more no less. Generally, all things supernatural also go out the window, but not necessarily. Non-religious Buddhism is a good example of how atheism and spirituality can co-exist.

[@iforgot799]

By the way i have this jutsu called amaterasu

[@DaDualityofMan]

I noticed Christianity is always portrayed as very cult-like in anime, Christians in anime are basically still crusaders.

[@frofrofrofro900]

It was very interesting! Greetings from Poland!

[@nathalykim1263]

I don't know much about Japan, just watched the occasional your name, spirited away and stuff like that one thing I noticed, though, was that nature elements, like river spirits and stuff like, are very prominent in basically everything I watched, which I found so beautiful I never realized it was shintoism! such a unique and special way of looking at the world

[@Tesseract.]

I’m Japanese and grew up as a Christian (still am) and I learned that it was...awkward, you could say, that I was. I only had one friend other than family who were Christian, and I was only teased in junior high for it. It was never anything big, but I was still shy when it was strangely brought up in conversation. However, it’s mainly because Japanese are very different when compared to the West. People did think it was scary, dark, strict, but I never understood why until growing up more. Either way, just be your religion. Don’t boast, be happy with it and it’s alright it share!

[@akiowo1852]

Yasser The Stately that worst LOL. people gonna be like TERRORIST

[@joelbedulla4]

Japanese? Your name looks Chinese though...

[@Jotari]

I thought you were from Vale.

[@IWantToStayAtYourHouse]

A japanese christian with a chinese name. This anime crossover is insane

[@pathaleyguitar9763]

@@IWantToStayAtYourHouse under-rated comment.

[@dlxpdah4498]

This is what I like about Japan, the people don't bother of what religion you come from and better yet they respect one another.

[@btsismyoxyjin6577]

Exactly 😍

[@dragaming8083]

Japan : exist Christian misionaris : "Its free real estate"

[@dragaming8083]

@Andre C just joke don't take seriuosly

[@randomprozimity]

Andre C just wanna know... what religion that doesnt suck lol

[@S_u_n_Flower_]

@Andre C Watch "A Letter From God" on KZbin kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKSlmamJgraIoZY It doesn't ⚘😊✝️ 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ...

[@S_u_n_Flower_]

@@randomprozimity Read my other comment please!

[@sashatheelf]

The Scientologists recently [last few years] opened a huge ass building in Shinjuku.

[@bekimbal9658]

A live and let live attitude. That is very refreshing to me.

[@13Kr4zYAzN13]

Honestly, I think they have it right here. Their society is based on morals, not predetermined rules from some deities. Seems to work out better that way for them.

[@bromponie7330]

You can't have an objective moral standard without a Deity/Higher standard though... Moral codes and deities go hand in hand.

[@shrivak]

The God of The Bible set His practices & laws out as moral codes.

[@psychonaut175]

@@shrivak so?

[@manitoumimi]

Brom Ponie so if there was no bible you would be a murderer?

[@StFelly]

Brom Ponie Thank you for getting the bigger picture.

[@leopoldopetrieska6564]

i loved this episode. and i especially loved how yuta "taught" them the difference between shinto adn Buddhism, because i didn't know that and i liked the people on the video also learning about it.

[@Captain_Sarcastic]

Strangely, as I studied Japanese religions, I seem to know more than the people you interviewed, but I didn't know as much as Yuta. Thank you for teaching me.

[@elenijuliet1996]

i am loving the fact that everybody here has different Japanese dialects!!! btw LOVE this video!!!

[@amairasubedi394]

I'm from nepal and my Buddhists friend have so many festivals. I like loshar festival alottttt and enjoy their foods😊😊

[@__jay__]

Japanese sounds so wonderful.

[@Mitchery]

But the society sucks.

[@FriedRice3519]

I rly like the ppl in this interview and to see their views. Very understanding 👍

[@tebbet1678]

Wow this is so interesting. I'd love to see more videos on this topic !!

[@nikankhamisi1175]

That’s exactly why you have developed and became a prosperous nation. It’s because instead of thinking and killing for a pointless shit, you work for a better life, regardless if a god exists or not. For goodness sake, Japan has been hit by TWO nuclear bombs and look where they are today! In the meanwhile, every time you talk to a usual middle eastern on why you do develop, they start blaming everything (West, imperialism etc.) other than to admit their failures and start working. I am middle eastern myself and I say it, Middle East doesn’t develop only because people are in constant conflict over some shit that doesn’t even exist, instead of cooperating with each other and working. Massive respect to Japan and Japanese people. You are a true inspiration!

[@mybearbibo4744]

I'm from Iran and I agree! I am a muslim and I love my religion. But I see middle easterns need to grow up. They actually don't care about religion at all, if they did we wouldn't see our rulers stealing their own nation money, right? What our rulers like is money!! Which country are you from?

[@styrofoam6476]

Yeah they need to pay more attention to self developmeny instead of women's clothes and other crap

[@mybearbibo4744]

@@styrofoam6476 Yes! And forcing sth such as believes or clothes is rejected by Islam. They lie

[@mybearbibo4744]

@nan You're right. Religion is not a personality. It is when a believer wants to have a life time plan. That's it. Just because you're muslim you're not a terrorist. And just because you're a christian you're not judgmental. And just because you're godless you're not intelligent. Personalities and characters are developed in where we live, who we are raised with and our cultures. Middle Easterns are extremists and they don't like to grow up, that's it. We live in a rich area and we could have BETTER lives. But we are still stuck to Shitte and Sunni conflict. see? Same God, same book, same prophet, But we fight for a freaking name! 😤 Once we respect each other we can progress.

[@hsnrb9959]

Japan looks nice on the outside, but it's full of overworked, suicidal people.

[@quirijnv6793]

The two sisters in the beginning describe exactly my relation to catholicism. I'm baptised, all that stuff, but beyond that I might as well be atheist.

[@MMasaomi]

Thief Gaius same

[@rain3146]

It is the same where I grow up. Nearly every one I know is baptised but that's just because it's sort of like a tradition that your family makes you do. No one actually cares about the religion. The only people that go to church are 50+ years old and my grandmother says most of them don't believe either they just go for the sense of community.

[@copymizer]

same here except i'm protestant christian

[@quirijnv6793]

I see catholic faith more as a societal set of morals and norms. I don't do any religious practice or strictly believe there is a god, but I do adhere to catholic values to an extent... if that makes sense.

[@shojun11]

You are probably agnostic and not really an atheist.

[@sulblazer]

Yuta, it would have been interesting if you had asked whether or not they believed in some of the characteristics of Buddhism such as reincarnation, karma, and enlightenment.

[@hellojapan915]

1:50 my religion is April Fool

[@Lucas-zx9dr]

April fool bless you 😔🙏

[@userm180]

for GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON that whoever believeth in HIM should not perish but have eternal life"-the Gospel of JESUS written by john 3:16."But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"-the Gospel of JESUS written by john 1:12. hi! JESUS loves you and died for you if you accept HIM! HE rose from the dead to show us that death cant hold HIM! repent and start living your life for HIM and when the time is right HE will get you to Heaven❤❤🌈🌈

[@Lucas-zx9dr]

@@userm180 '-'

[@yurtle1851]

6:43 "its very impressive that someone came up with the stories of the Bible" lmaoooooooo

[@Byezbozhnik]

In some way that is a statement I can agree with.

[@hjc1402]

I think it’s even more impressive that the entire Bible was written by like 60 some or so different authors over a thousand and some years and none of it conflicts

[@yussuqmadiq5274]

@@hjc1402 None of the stories conflict? Kid you really need to read your damn book. Or are you using sarcasm?

[@hjc1402]

yussuq madiq I’m not using sarcasm and I mean the Bible flows through like one complete consistent book, you wouldn’t think that it was written by multiple authors at very different periods of time

[@hjc1402]

Aiden Grove yeah that’s true but I don’t really mean no gaps in the timeline, I guess I mean it all connects in a cool way, hopefully you understand what I mean, it’s ok if you don’t though or disagree, that’s just my opinion I was commenting

[@RoyBatty81]

As always, nice video Yuta-san. I always wondered how Japanese people really feel about Shinto and Buddhism. I am not a religious person, but I always liked the natural way in which the Japanese treat spirituality.

[@wirya6096]

Iam from Indonesia If you ask me "do you believe buddhisme?" I answer YES, i believe it. Because we Learn and practice buddhisme, not just a tradition but Buddhisme actually is THE WAY OF LIFE.

[@iam239090]

Does Buddhism exist in indonesia?

[@wirya6096]

@@iam239090 yes, still exist

[@iam239090]

@@wirya6096 which type of Buddhism??? Mahayana or theraveda? I know Mahayana Buddhism is present in Malaysia. I don't know about indonesian Buddhism.

[@sumilink9002]

im so surprised because i thought all indonesians are muslims about 99%

[@nuiaslou18]

nope

[@Diamondraw4Real]

Summary: they don't care 😕

[@alkhwarizmi248]

@Shreyas Misra Yeah, too complex...

[@NortheastIndiaindetails]

@Shreyas Misra Relegious agnostic

[@hadiemaar2937]

But they seem to believe in God at least

[@animationdramanation5730]

@@hadiemaar2937 Not really. They just say that so their parents won't be disappointed.

[@Enlightize]

Lol, I had a Japanese bf who also really liked the concept of church. I'm curious now as to if it was because it seemed very 'foreign'.

[@ruthkatagami4011]

Yes, it is. I grew up christian in Japan, some of our friends and family excepted us, and some did not want to talk to us. I brought my friends to church on holidays they seemed very interested and said it was foreign-like.

[@juch3]

Ruth Katagami why did some of your relatives not want to talk to you? Is it because they view Christianity as more a western culture thing or maybe something else?

[@HaohmaruHL]

enlightize it's same as Japanese culture for non-Japanese. Like shrines and temples look more like "eastern phantasy" to others and have zero meaning to other cultures. In their minds it can be interesting just because it's new or alien to them. Same thing Japanese feel towards churches and other foreign things basically. Yes, Japan is that closed. And yes, aside from several interested people Japanese have almost no idea about the outer world and how it works. Only what they saw in American movies (just because usa media is predominant on the internet over media from other countries). And they honestly don't care that much.

[@Enlightize]

Nice point. I think the same could be said for many western foreigners who visit Japan thinking it's some amusement park, and cosplay is ok to wear everywhere. lol

[@ruthkatagami4011]

I have no idea haha my friends could careless, but my mom struggled more with being accepted. I'm guessing culture? Me and my mom did not take part in certain traditions.

[@Orikron]

I think the Japanese tend to mix religion with their culture. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be as hurtful as it was/is in the west.

[@AAJillSandwich]

The Suicidal Muffin Religion is what helped fashion the West into the most free and prosperous areas in the world. Granted it has flaws.

[@Shakiahjprod]

It was more HELPFUL than Hurtful. Heck America started for religious freedom. (They did murder the natives tho >.>)

[@Orikron]

America is the perfect example to support my case. At its founding, it was the most secular country in the entire west and still has one of the most secular constitutions to date. It's also a cultural superpower without contention.

[@TimeManInJail]

Fubbert Bombadil what fashion the west is the persian.

[@drakan4769]

actually not quite at it's founding, initially there was a lot of rejection in america towards catholics, as a british colony they were heavily protestant, and although officially they adopted a policy of tolerance after independence, considering it was a revolt against foreign rule many weren't exactly thrilled with a religious community swearing loyalty to a pope in rome, and it later came in hand with the animosity towards some groups of immigrants (mainly irish and germans)

[@mshimada3823]

I'm surprised that they did not know that Shinto originated in Japan. And they did not know too that the emperor of Japan represents Shinto.

[@thanamesswish6077]

I'm personally Christian, and while nobody was religious, I noticed certain parallels between Christianity and their reasoning for not being religious.. I think I started in a very similar mindset and eventually talked myself into Christianity.. I'd love to hear/see more of this, maybe get a little in depth with people who actually practice, or understands more about the Buddhist and Shinto religions, because I get vague references through anime and a lot of metaphors and quotes being broken down, instead of actual doctrine; when I try to investigate online..

[@christiansnaturestudio6599]

I'm a Christian but I'm not religious at all.

[@based_kaiser9015]

@@christiansnaturestudio6599 Then you're not a Christian

[@DigitalFumbles]

Guess a lot of Japanese people are apatheists, like myself? Whether god(s) are real or not, it does not really matter and you just go 'bout your life living the way you feel best.

[@TrunkMonkey3000]

Austral No it does matter actually. The Bible says that a curse will come upon the nation that doesn't believe in God. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Japan, they're one of the greatest nations in the world. They love freedom just like America and they're one of America's greatest friends and allies. But look at Japan. They're literally dying. Their birth rates are way down, and they literally sell more adult diapers than child diapers. The Bible says those who hate the Lord love death, and the Japanese have a suicide forest. Who in the world could have imagined such a haunt for evil spirits? It is a nation that is atheist that has so little left to live for that they are literally killing themselves off. Which is sad because I love Japan.

[@basilmybeloved7170]

TM3000 and religion is the main cause of conflict in the middle east, it is also why discrimination is still in america against gays, and most percent of people in jails and prisons are christian/religious do you know what the hell depression, anxiety, and mental illnesses are? Science already prove all the potholes in religion, and people chose to ignore it. People who are athiest are more likely to be succesful than religious people. religion tells you to do a lot of cruel things and people even misunderstand their own religion, which is sad. so please shut the hell up

[@basilmybeloved7170]

TM3000 and how do athiest hate the lord when they don't believe in him?

[@blackearl7891]

TM3000 birth rates are down in every 1st world country. Meanwhile third world countries tend to have higher birth rates. Trust me, god has nothing to do with this. It's more economic pressures in Japan that is causing it.

[@godskingdomservant3191]

Someone released a video today about "ouija boards" being found on that forest. Evil spirits feast on that place - we need to pray for those people in bondage and for the blind atheists who ignore the reality of the spiritual realm as well, they're in danger.

[@cathleenphelps8922]

why do Japanese girls giggle after every sentence ?

[@hugebuffman3619]

why wouldn't they?

[@davet2625]

A slight nervousness (borne of shyness and humility) at venturing opinion? Maybe. I like indications of humility in people wherever they occur though. It's an attractive feature. But sometimes confidence is an attractive feature too! ..Crazy world.

[@quebecaaa1238]

Better than cry after every sentence..

[@openwrt5504]

Possibly because of the softness of their heart.

[@rafinha15d]

Drugs

[@edriantito6703]

I’m amazed by the content of this video!i cant even believe that you can build a rich and peaceful country by just establishing strict moral boundries and i find it Ironic, that countries with strict adherance to a religious dogma is often the cause of conflict.

[@jonezmontenegro3916]

Same thing I always say dawg

[@SRBOMBONICA86]

@tictocdoc I love God of Abraham ,there is not salvation without Christ

[@getameya]

@@SRBOMBONICA86 There is. Watch me.

[@cristinac196]

They are peaceful because America forced them to be. You are aware that Japan has been involved in many wars, right ? Like many hundreds of years of civil war, but also abroad - attacks on China, Korea etc. And are responsible for atrocities even worse than their German allies. Check the Rape of Nanking, for instance. They didn't build a peaceful nation, they were forced to become peaceful because they lost ww2.

[@sanilanimthaka1135]

@@cristinac196 If you studied them you should know they were not done cuz of the religion. They are not as the same as crusades. Just like every other powerful country at that time Japan tried to spread their empire. US did it UK did it Germany, France, Russia, Italy? They all did it. And I wonder where did you get the idea Japanese were worse than Germans? before you say it yes I know about the rape of Nanjing. but how it is worse than burning Jews alive in concentration camps? What about Spanish massacring Aztecs and Mayans? Muricans massacring native americans? They are good cuz they are European and Japanese are bad cuz they are asians? How ironic of you to say they are peaceful cuz USA forced them to be. With what? They dropped Atomic bombs. U think that is way better than The rape of Nanjing don't you? Killing Hundreds of thousands of people instantly and causing disabled children to be born for generations? That is more humane than Rape of nanjing. I find ur logic disgusting.

[@TheAseer2020]

Hello, very interesting video! I am an American who chose Shinto as my way of spirituality. I am a member of a Jinja. It is from my academic understanding that "converts" to any religion, in this case Shinto, even tho it is technically impossible to convert to Shinto, there is no conversion academically speaking, tend to be more serious about the religion than native practitioners. However, this is true for all religions. I have read that Shinto is very, very, slowly growing outside of Japan. If this growth continues, who knows what Shinto may look like 500 years from now.

[@BabyBugBug]

I myself am very interested in it. What made you choose it?

[@shady0810]

Good job on the selection of people, they were all funny.

[@marc21091]

Yuta, your interviews with people are very interesting and we learn very much about Japanese people - those in the age-groups to which you talk, at least. Can you please do some interviews with people in the street about the Japanese Royal Family? It would be good to know what people think of the Royal Family and its role and importance - particularly now as we wait for Akihisho to abdicate and his son to become the Emperor in 2019. I hope this is a good proposal for a KZbin film!

[@merlynschutterle7242]

I admire the Japanese people greatly. When I was a kid in the 40's after the war, the Japanese were trying to survive by stamping police badges made of Folgers coffee cans. Look at what they have done now. They taught Americans how to make good cars. I have several guitars made in Japan and they are great instruments. Salute to Japan, an amazing people.

[@hhorlandohharlergiadehhalg601]

And I despise completely the US for ruining that beautiful country, up to this age

[@Kingsfrie]

Very interesting, Yuta. I would definitely use your free Japanese language lessons, if there wass any possibility of me ccoming to Japan. I live in South Africa, plenty Chinese people, everyday more, but not many Japanese. We like your cars and vehicles.

[@matthughes2322]

Lmfao, the funniest part of this interview is that religion is so unimportant to these people that they practically don't know anything. "I'm 50% religious because I have an altar of Buddha" I fucking died.

[@Shijaru64]

Most religious people have never bothered to read their holy books xD. You'd be surprised by how ignorant the average Muslim, Christian, Catholic, etc. is of their own cancerous religions. With the average religious person it goes like this: I believe in X deity because I was raised in a religious country/my parents believed in that.

[@calebr7199]

Illyasviel von Einzbern To true. Especially Muslims, if you ever talk to them they think Mohammad was some kind of peace loving hippy and not the violent war lord that he was.

[@SchUlrich]

Funny how video games, anime obsessed people think they know a handful about religions and think they are fully able to see the bad aspects of each...

[@calebr7199]

The Magnificent Conqueror Ad hominem

[@EagleZtoTheGrave]

Illyasviel von Einzbern I don't know about cancerous, but I agree a lot of people religious or not are ignorant to what they believe. We just do stuff lol

[@keepmovingkime5016]

Honest and practical people

[@druvader7966]

Cool video. I bet its nice having a country with little to 0 religious political influence.

[@simondayan2737]

Those two young ladies gave such a astute and comprehensive answer. This video makes me want to explore Japan and meet the people there soo much more.

[@kitsunemeansfox]

What are you talking about? They all come across as very ignorant, they don't know anything about any religion including their own.

[@Kitty4u]

I'm a Buddhist and I think Buddhism is pretty easy to follow. Many people also hesitate to call it a religion because we don't worship any gods.

[@tigers3748]

Royale Kittens yeah calling Buddhism a religion seems weird to me. It seems more like a philosophy

[@Nata-ch2bk]

Yeah, the word religion doesn't seem like a good choice at all for Buddhism. It's the same as calling Yoga a religion. But I guess nowadays, in most Buddhist areas, it shares some similarities with religions (temples, prayers, rituals, monks....) so many people think of Buddism as a religion (including many of the people who consider themselves "buddhists"). In its original and true form though, Buddhism has nothing to do with religion.

[@tealeaf9260]

IMO, concerning Buddhism as religion or philosophy, it depends on what school or tradition of Buddhism you are a part of and whether or not you practice Buddhism in "the West" or "the East." From what I've observed, Westerners in particular like to distance themselves from any "religious" aspects. To be honest, not everyone even defines "religion" the same way. And, is there such a strict divide between religion and philosophy? Distinctions, sure, but are they mutually exclusive? Perhaps those curious should look into religious philosophy. I live in a country in which Buddhism, along with Daoism and Chinese folk religion, is a major religion. People can feel devotion to and reliance on Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and even devas ("gods" e.g. shrines and altars to Phra Phrom are here and there, and I've even seen the deity at a larger Buddhist temple). Of course, people may argue this is a pollution of the "real" Buddhism. The same thing happens with Daoism and the imagined clash between Daoist religion and philosophy. I find this presumptuous, at best. If someone wants to only focus on the philosophy, that's great, but dismissing other aspects of rich traditions with a lot of complicated history is more indicative of that person's biases than anything else, imo.

[@Nata-ch2bk]

@ Nick Au To be honest, original Buddhism, as it was actually taught by Buddha Siddharta Gautama, arguably woulnd't even be correctly defined as a "philosophy". Of course, it always depends on what meaning you give to any of these words and what nuances of meaning, but nevertheless it should still be possible to refer to the most common definitions and approximate a classification. Original Buddhism was initially just a set of spiritual practices (mainly buddhist meditation, among others), a set of instructions for buddhist monks to apply in daily life, and oral teachings of the practice. In that sense, "spiritual practice" would have probably been more accurate than "philosophy" to describe Buddhism at the time, and there were almost no characteristics of "religion" yet (prayers, rituals, worshipping, gods, ..). It then expanded to incorparate a general way of thinking and attitude towards life and behavior. According to Oxford Learner's dictionary : philosophy = "a particular set or system of beliefs resulting from the search for knowledge about life and the universe" or philosophy = "a set of beliefs or an attitude to life that guides somebody’s behaviour" Thus it can be argued that Buddhism started to incorporate some characteristics of what makes something "a philosophy". According to Oxford Learner's dictionary : religion = "the belief in the existence of a god or gods, and the activities that are connected with the worship of them, or in the teachings of a spiritual leader" or religion = "one of the systems of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular god or gods, or in the teachings of a spiritual leader" Originally, there weren't any of these characteristics in Buddhism. It didn't require faith, worship, rituals, or belief in the existence of a god. Although it is true that historically, in some schools of Buddhism it gradually started incorporating many elements of religion. The "Buddha" gradually became a kind of "god". He gradually became "worshipped" and people started to view buddhism as a kind of "faith" and implemented prayers and rituals. To sum it up, how you define Buddhism is just a matter of historical point of view and, as you said, it depends on which school or tradition of Buddhism exactly we are talking a bout. In my opinion, historically, I would consider the following order : 1) originally a spiritual practice (as in "meditation", and practices applied in daily life), with some characteristics of a philosophy. No religious characteristics. 2) Spiritual practice started declining and it started incorporating religious characteristics. 3) in most schools/traditions in the East, religious characterstics gradually became the main characteristics of Buddhism, with philosophical elements coming second, and spiritual practice a distant third. 4) in the West, the philosphical aspects are dominant. Spiritual practice comes second? or maybe religious beliefs as second and practice as third.

[@tealeaf9260]

@ Dom Fair points and assessments. Cheers for the thoughtful response. How do you feel the spiritual practices arose? Did they arise independently of philosophical questions concerning metaphysical reality, causality, phenomenology, epistemology, and so forth? Maybe these early spiritual practices differ from philosophical methodology common in Western philosophical schools, but I'm not sure if they are separate from philosophical concerns. Perhaps I just have a different rough definition of philosophy in mind, or perhaps you have more insight into early Buddhism you could share. I'm also personally not sure how I stand on your points 3 and 4 concerning East vs. West, but I'm not sure what all you're taking into consideration. I agree that what we might think of religious concerns and practices are more dominant in general in "the East" and philosophical aspects tend to come to mind more in "the West" but I'm unsure about how you're ranking the other aspects. I think part of it is that we're being pretty general in this discussion. I presume you have some specific examples in mind.

[@FoxYinnyy]

Hey Yuta, ofcourse you have heard about the whole thing about Logan.... Is it wrong of me to ask you about your opinion, because you're the one who is living his whole life in Japan. And also because I think that you always have very strong points. I'm sorry if I'm asking something stupid😥

[@michaelrosas4147]

It would be cool if they asked the Japanese people what they thought of it.

[@sirmel11]

filming it was bad but the jokes were okay

[@dany98dee]

what's the thing with Logan?

[@lauradiolosa5803]

Dani He went to the suicide forest in Japan to vlog ( which is totally fine ) however he found someone who hung themself and instead of showing respect by turning the cameras off he approached the dead body and potrayed it like it was some kind of souvenir.

[@lauradiolosa5803]

An Sorry, I just heard about the incident in the suicide forest and since I had not heard of him before I didn't watch his vlogs. So I couldn't know about his behavior in general.

[@human_862]

i feel relived that there are people like me i live in india and i'm from santhal tribe and our religion is so ingrained with culture, their are people who are very relivious and may look down upon if i say i'm not religious and not intrested in doing rituals and stuff

[@brotherdustin1]

Hey Yuta! I am so grateful for your videos. I was wondering, may I have permission to use clips from this video in my own video? If I could get information to PM you I will. Thanks and keep up the good work!

[@Aipe97]

I'm kinda disappointed that you didn't find a single religious person for the video. I would like to hear their perspective on things.

[@Masteroftheweb]

Unless it went directly to a shrine or temple, it makes sense that the chances of finding a religious person is low. 9 out of 10 people aren't religious. That's just the odds.

[@firdas.a.santoso2883]

Ikr, and how people treat them. With the majority of people having no religion, i wonder if they can really fit into that kind of society

[@Dr_Lassy]

aoi mikazuki I think they summed it up at about 3:16. They said to each their own. So I’d figure they’re indifferent about things like that.

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

It would be very hard to find a truly religious person in Japan randomly like this. I don't know how many people I need to talk until I find one. I can recall preciously ONE classmate who was religious (Christian) throughout my entire Japanese education.

[@khm2128]

*precisely*

[@dedoyxp]

The Non religious sisters is the best one on defining religion

[@apvtethic8818]

dedoyxp i like them because they are nor bigoted religious but not either the typical extremist, closed minded atheist type you found in Western countries.

[@huykachu]

ItalicCroos that's because nobody in Japan is trying to pass laws based in religion that affect their entire country's population. If Japanese legislators were trying to intertwine their religious beliefs into how their government operates, the non-believers would have to be more outspoken to resist that influence. Atheists in the West are forced to be more vocal because the many large Abrahamic religious groups here are much more overbearing and threatening than the relatively small number of Buddhist and Shinto practitioners in Japan.

[@apvtethic8818]

huykachu “relative small numer of Shinto and Buddhists in Japan”. Compared to Europe, Japan has a much higher percentual of theists. Especially since complete atheists or anti-theists do not actually exist in Japan as spirituality is much more important for them than for us. Also culturally and historically religious based laws in Japan and in Asia in general did not exist in the first place (apart from Tibet, the holy country of Buddhism and some ancient theocratic monk orders). Those people just generally have a more mature attitude and approach on discussions.

[@melanielyrics5854]

+ItalicCroos exactly!!

[@redlethe8679]

@huykachu - *_"Atheists in the West are forced to be more vocal because the many large Abrahamic religious groups here are much more overbearing and threatening than the relatively small number of Buddhist and Shinto practitioners in Japan."_* Overbearing, maybe. I don't see how telling one's kids not to watch Harry Potter is that threatening though. It's annoying at most.

[@Shaksuchanyu]

they are totally right ! relegions are dangerous , also make people hate each other , also strict

[@ancientpeople3861]

I'm Japanese Christian.😊 But I also respect Buddhism and Shinto. (Of course, including other religions such as Muslim, too.✨)

[@rko_ibrahimovejassem7715]

Me to i am Muslim and i also respect other religions

[@Directgamez28]

I agree with the 2 sisters speaking at 4:29. The media only talks about the negative side of some religion from other counties and not the positive side.

[@ecMonify]

there are no positive sides of religion though, just fear and misery ;)

[@Mads.Ryborg]

@ecMonify I can't tell if you're joking, but you're definitely wrong.

[@eagle3676]

Yeah sure there is nothing positive. You're not just misquided and ignorant its that there is nothing good right

[@Rationalific]

+Elijah Shadow: Okay, let's list the positives of Islam over the lack of belief or sometimes just the faint hint of deism that the people in Japan have. Um...charity, maybe? And that is sort of assuming that most Muslims are charitable, and most Japanese are not, which is probably largely incorrect in itself. (It also assumes that most charity is not just "giving to the mosque", which is not really charity at all.) But let's go with that. So that makes up for the stoning, cutting off limbs, treating women as slaves, and hatred against all non-Muslims (not in my opinion, but as enshrined in the Qur'an and Hadith)? No thanks.

[@whuzzzup]

Lets make a list of the positive side of islam: - - - -

[@johnnythreefour2902]

Buddhism isn't necessarily a religion tho, more a philosophy. Many Buddhists don't believe in a god.

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

That is why it makes it hard to determine just what is Buddhism. For Christians, no God means it is not a religion yet it does have a doctrine, teaching of morality, a clergy, scriptures, places of worship, religious holidays, rituals, rituals for the weddings and funerals, and even songs (gathas). Philosophies generally do not have these things. No clergy are performing a ritual for Socrates or Aristotle.

[@Nattbad]

I would say its a non-theistic religion.

[@feylights166]

When Christianity first came to Japan, it was seen as a heretical form of Bhuddism. Shinto and Bhuddism are both concerned with spirits and things, but they aren't theistic in the way Christianity is.

[@feylights166]

I recently read the book Engaging in Japanese philosophy. It goes into some of the Bhuddist sects, history, and includes some Shinto, too. It talked about the Bhuddism as a philosophy and as a religion (to use the term loosely). It's a bit dense at times, but I highly recommend it. That and the Invention of Religion in Japan. As I said in other comments (I am very interested in the study of religion in Japan, so I have made several comments on this video lol), Japan has a set of beliefs, like Bhuddist and Shinto, but it wasn't considered a "religion" in the way we think. It has what we might recognize as religious elements (prayer, temples, rituals, Shinto has kami, Bhuddism has bhuddistva), but when they encountered Christianity, they had to come up with a term that classified and separated their beliefs from Christianity (as Christianity was at first seen as a heretical form of Bhuddism). This phenomenon isn't unique to Japan, however. Even other Christian countries didn't recognize Christianity as a "religion". It was a way of life, a set of core beliefs that was in every aspect of life. Since the Japanese word for religion (shukyo) has Western implications (like Christianity), many Japanese don't see themselves as religious, even if they are Bhuddist/Shinto. P

[@Danuxsy]

Buddhism is a religion because it contains many religious aspects such as Karma.

[@junsu21]

Really amazing that so many didn’t know the difference Btwn Shinto and Buddhism in japan. One didn’t seem to know connections between Shinto and the imperial family. Just wow

[@user-bg3nw4yf7b]

日本人は困った時には神頼みだしハロウィンやバレンタインデーもあるし初詣行くし教会で結婚式あげるし家には仏壇がある。めちゃくちゃだよなw

[@MrEjidorie]

まあ無茶苦茶だけど宗教上の規律に縛られなくて気楽でいいですよね。色んな宗教を楽しみましょう。

[@takumi7885]

日本における葬式とか以外の宗教行事ってインスタにあげる材料みたいなものでしかないんだよなぁ。エンタメでしかない。

[@hiro3237]

Rather than religion, my relatives taught me only one thing: “Do not be embarrassed with your ancestors and family.” It means that if you commit a crime or wrong, you will involve not only you but also your relatives. I think that it is a self-centered action, but not all, that affects criminal acts, so first think about the people you love before you act.

[@TheGreatBackUpVIDEOS]

I both agree and disagree with the notion. Children so very often have different values from their parents and so forth so the idea of not embarrassing them could be as callous as saying "conform to their values despite your own."

[@katharynemartins565]

This can apply to ww2 Japan.

[@somerandomedgyguy1723]

Actually I agree on the last guys' opinion, I do think religious architecture is stunning no matter the religion, but the ideology doesn't concern or appeal to me.

[@hjc1402]

Some Random Edgy Guy agreed, I am Christian but I think Islamic architecture and decorating of buildings and mosques is really pretty, I just remember that it is only the outside appearance and has nothing to do with the religion itself.

[@kathryncarter6143]

Good interview. Very interesting responses to questions.

[@petern7731]

I was born in Hungary, I live in LA now, and I watch Japanese people talk about their way of thinking about religion. :D I definetly would like to live in Japan at least for a year, work there and such. Hopefully once I can make this happen. :) (Mainly I love their car scene)

[@petern7731]

Lowkey I believe in God the same way, like the lady at 4:29 .

[@nabilahwahyuni1611]

I'm learn japanese language and japan culture in my college and i'm surprised that they don't know about the difference between temple and shrine well, i learn a lot of things in this video thanks!

[@dreye3215]

I was surprised that they didn't know about Shintoism, considering its connection to the Monarchy.

[@bxyhxyh]

"Dumb girls are cute" maybe

[@---zx9zf]

@Direct Netstores The us is not that rich tho

[@shinonkim4814]

Shintoism is actually more of a standard way of living rather than a religion. It tells you to do simple things like take shoes off in your home. Most religions have common sense stuff to when they were written as well like don’t eat pork (pork used be be notoriously bad for health before hygiene).

[@---zx9zf]

@Lucifer K Africa is a continent you Ignorant american.

[@robertdullnig3625]

My understanding is that it is rarely referred to as "Shinto" by Japanese. It's mostly just an umbrella term for a lot of traditional beliefs.

[@Suneku609]

As a muslim, I also have nothing against japanese or any other people about religion. Sincerity is what matters.

[@Yinksman]

I disagree. There is only one way. kzbin.info/aero/PLUeWzptw04Fs-rx2aNMZ-9-hrxsFtKICM

[@azizsaad5524]

i am too !

[@garyjones5608]

AMEEN Akh!

[@kamannmusic]

these people are amazing

[@dennis-qu7bs]

Hey Yuta, bro, can you do a video on Japanese accents, please? I speak a little Japanese but I just can't tell if a Japanese person has an 'accent'. I know that there are dialects where words and grammar are different, but, accents are fascinating. Can you tell if someone is from Germany or France when they speak English? Or, can you tell the Canadian and American accents apart? I can in English but I can't when it comes to Japanese.

[@seriouskano2]

I second that idea. Accents are hard to distinguish if you're not a native speaker. My English is quite advanced but I still can't localize most American accents.

[@rohitg1529]

That's a very interesting question really. I've picked up Japanese fairly well at this point, and I can very easily tell when a person has an accent. You should notice unusual endings for sentences, which seem completely "wrong" from the standard Japanese sentence structures. However, I cannot really tell what accent the person in speaking with (unless its the Kansai dialect). I'd say that a native speaker should be able to do this fairly easily.

[@JustClaude13]

That sounds like fun. I speak a little Japanese and just a tad of Kansai-ben, so I find dialects to be interesting. It would be interesting to hear how Japanese people view foreign accents.

[@namarrgonphilos32]

Check out Dogen for that

[@rachelkendrick6933]

dennis , ooo that's a super good ask

[@kiyoshi2693]

Even though I'm a Christian, I'm similar to these Japanese people here. I don't really mind or think about it or even that crazy about religion. And I live in the Philippines so this is bad for me.

[@boris001000]

Same here!

[@spiceguy2408]

@@boris001000 How is religion in the Philippines? Is it ok to be non-religious or athiest

[@boris001000]

@@spiceguy2408 Most people here are religious, I am but quite losing my faith myself but I can't because my parents said so

[@jackmyers2359]

@@boris001000 There are a number of Atheist groups and recovering from religion groups on Facebook, thousands of people to relate to.

[@boris001000]

@@jackmyers2359 My father's lineage is Catholic, with my paternal grandmother serving in the church, and my father has experienced Islam when he is at Saudi Arabia for two years. My maternal grandmother is a Church of Christ(a Christian sect that originated in the Philippines) devotee, and my mom was raised in a Catholic school. Makes sense why they don't let me away from religion in general, especially Catholicism(the family religion), isn't it? The reason why I am not as religious as they are because simply, my mind works differently from theirs. I am(or used to be) an Aspie, and I tend to question a lot of thinks around me. Yes, that includes religion. Religion's entire structure(as I have learned in an Ethics class) is a system that has been passed down from generation to generation, similar to tradition, and cannot be questioned. And I declared myself an anti-traditionalist.

[@TheBombayMasterTony]

Good interview.

[@suchasin]

Refreshing go see people can actually move on from religion. The first couple of girls were adorable

[@pipster06]

Another reason why I really love Japan. Just take life as it is, no pressure on religion particularly. I'm not religious and I don't have a problem with religion, but life is a lot less complicated (for me) without it.

[@UmutKursawe]

Nations, Religions and Extremists are all different things.

[@qinshihuang7576]

i agree u cant blame islam because of iran or saudi arabia

[@sahararash6912]

True. I'm part Iranian and the Islam practiced in Iran is sooo different than the Islam practiced in Indonesia. It gets toxic when politics and religion get together.

[@sahararash6912]

omer shah yes, these are 2 Islamic nations among many other Muslim majority countries

[@UmutKursawe]

Sahar Arash I always have to prove that I am not a muslim and speak better Japanese than Turkish, although I live in Germany, because noone believes me xD

[@itchynights]

dunno if it's the selection and editing or if it's somewhat cultural but these japanese speak with a lot and nuance and reflection. they have opinions but seem very open to the possibility of being wrong or ignorant. i've seen it in the other vids as well.

[@pooru1231]

This was awesome

[@hijack69]

What do Japanese think about the Logan Paul Controversy?????

[@AAJillSandwich]

Hi Jack The same as everyone else who isn't a "fanboy", that's my estimate.

[@Weskalia]

Japanese twitters are roasting him as we speak. They don't take it kindly as well.

[@dacelticcross]

Takatora Toudou rightfully so.

[@Weskalia]

I can't put link on KZbin, but if you're interested in how Japanese people and big KZbinrs (IHE, Dolan Dark, Philip, David Brown) tweeted, then go to knowyourmeme and search Logan Paul. They have all the tweets and links there.

[@Masteroftheweb]

I don't really know who Logan Paul is, but when I googled this controversy, I don't really see what the problem is. He went to a place for some little fun vlogging and it became very serious and real. I haven't seen the video obviously, but from the article I read, he treated it with the level of severity it deserved and turned the whole unmonatized video into a campaign against suicide. Why is this a bad thing? I manage to find a 2 minute clip of the things he did "wrong" The biggest seems to be his laughing in the presence of a dead body. What I see if a kid who is coping with a stressful situation in the only way he can. If you pay attention, immediately after he laughs, he almost breaks down crying. I don't see what he's done wrong.

[@Lightnings]

Good video! Maybe there are more religious people outside of Tokyo (and other big cities). This is just an assumption but in general that's a common trend.

[@bromponie7330]

True that, especially in the rural areas and smaller towns. Well, hopefully.

[@EmbraceEveryMoment1]

Great video concept.

[@forex_god]

Points to be noted. Normally Japanese people doesn't care about religion they think about better things to do in life. That's why Japan is f_king awesome🔥🔥

[@lowrhyan567]

That's why they have one of the highest suici** rates in the world.

[@janmayswami]

​@@lowrhyan567 how come suicides are related to religion. India is hindu still india has highest suicides cases. America is Christian and America has people I mean a large chunk of the American population is depressed. Religion has nothing to do with all these .

[@lowrhyan567]

@@janmayswami Generalizing religion is ridiculous, Hindu ≠ Christianity. Christianity have a different view on it and a different view on happiness and suffering which make a devout wouldn't commit suicide, as it would be a lack of faith, USA may have a big number of Protestant Christians, but it also have very low statistics of those who attend liturgy and confess that faith, do you see any suicide in Mt. Athos?