The Emperor and the Shinto Religion

[PrincessKLS2007]

What's their religion and their laws on what religion(s) they can or can't practice and retain their titles.

[el-khanz]

As far as I know their religion is Shinto. If I'm not mistaken, the Emperor is also the highest priest of Shinto.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by PrincessKLS2007

What's their religion and their laws on what religion(s) they can or can't practice and retain their titles.

Shinto,the ancient native religion of Japan.Untill the end of WW II it was the state religion and the Emperor had a God like status.

[PrinceOfCanada]

Not "Godlike". In religious terms, the Emperor is a direct descendant of Ameraterasu, the Sun Goddess of Shinto. Ergo, is a god.

[Mermaid1962]

I wonder sometimes whether the Emperor actually believes that he's a god. How can a person believe that unless he's mentally ill or actually is Divine? And when is this divinity conferred? Are heirs considered gods-in-waiting, or do they become gods at the time of enthronement? Also, I understand that the post-WWII constitution took divinity away from the Emperor and made him a constitutional monarch. Do the Japanese still believe that the Emperor is divine?

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

I wonder sometimes whether the Emperor actually believes that he's a god. How can a person believe that unless he's mentally ill or actually is Divine? And when is this divinity conferred? Are heirs considered gods-in-waiting, or do they become gods at the time of enthronement? Also, I understand that the post-WWII constitution took divinity away from the Emperor and made him a constitutional monarch. Do the Japanese still believe that the Emperor is divine?

The Emperor doesn't believe he's a god, and no Japanese don't believe the Emperor his divine. At the time of the Meiji Restoration ( mid 19th century) the Shinto religion was reconfigured to centre on the Emperor and it was declared the state religion. Previous to that the Emperor wasn't considered a divine being, this belief sytem lasted until the end of WW2 so less than 80 years.

There are no written laws on the religion of the Imperial Family but it is expected that the Emperor be Shinto as he carries out certain rites that can only be done by a male, Shinto priests are male. This is an arguement the traditionalists use to argue for the continuation of male only Emperors, a female Emperor could not carry out the Shinto rites.

The Imperial Family members carry out certain religious obligations to honour their ancestors several times a year, Masako has been criticised for the fact that she hasn't gone with the other royals for several years now to carry out these observances. ( All done in private, the general public doesn't see most of the religious ceremonies carried out by the royals)

Japanese in general are fairly fluid in their religious practises, as a Japanese person described it to me. Shinto deals with living a good life so people take their children to the Shinto shrine for blessings and they marry at a Shinto Shrine,each new year they pray at the shrine for a good year ( also at exam time for good exam results!) When they die, they have a Buddhist funeral since Buddhism deals with having a good after life. Then once a year, Japanese are Christian ( christmas!).

[Mandy]

Originally Posted by Charlotte1

The Emperor doesn't believe he's a god, and no Japanese don't believe the Emperor his divine. At the time of the Meiji Restoration ( mid 19th century) the Shinto religion was reconfigured to centre on the Emperor and it was declared the state religion. Previous to that the Emperor wasn't considered a divine being, this belief sytem lasted until the end of WW2 so less than 80 years.

There are no written laws on the religion of the Imperial Family but it is expected that the Emperor be Shinto as he carries out certain rites that can only be done by a male, Shinto priests are male. This is an arguement the traditionalists use to argue for the continuation of male only Emperors, a female Emperor could not carry out the Shinto rites.

The Imperial Family members carry out certain religious obligations to honour their ancestors several times a year, Masako has been criticised for the fact that she hasn't gone with the other royals for several years now to carry out these observances. ( All done in private, the general public doesn't see most of the religious ceremonies carried out by the royals)

Japanese in general are fairly fluid in their religious practises, as a Japanese person described it to me. Shinto deals with living a good life so people take their children to the Shinto shrine for blessings and they marry at a Shinto Shrine,each new year they pray at the shrine for a good year ( also at exam time for good exam results!) When they die, they have a Buddhist funeral since Buddhism deals with having a good after life. Then once a year, Japanese are Christian ( christmas!).

So one could argue that those who claim that the Emperor must be male as oppose to female in order to perform the rites of a Shinto priest, is nothing but propaganda. I believe conservatives claim this is a centuries-old tradition while the so-called "tradition" was changed only 80 years ago in an attempt to ensure male primogeniture.

[PrincessKLS2007]

So what country has a Buddhist royal family? I thought one of the Asian country had Buddhism as an officially religion with a Buddhist royal family.

[Shikha Pal]

I am very Interested in Religion all over the world, and i have read that most Japanese are Buddhist

[Vanesa]

Most of them are a mix of Buddhist and Shintoist. It's like in China, where people could be Buddhist and Taoist at the same time. I know it sound weird..but this is the way it is.

Vanesa.

[namiey]

Originally Posted by PrincessKLS2007

So what country has a Buddhist royal family? I thought one of the Asian country had Buddhism as an officially religion with a Buddhist royal family.

Thai royal family are buddhist, I bilieve
And Cambodia,Nepal,Bhutan also has the royal family,
but I don't know they are buddhist or not.
However I think they are buddhist
becouse these country are buddhism country.

[tete]

I'm pretty sure the Nepalese Royal Family practices the Hindu religion but I may also be wrong. But apart from that Cambodia, Thailand and Bhutan have monarchs that to my knowledge practice Buddhism.

[Vanesa]

Yes, Nepalese royal family practices Hinduism as their religion. Bhutan is Buddhist, but I don't know what branch of Buddhism does they practice...Anyone???

Vanesa.

[namiey]

Oh,so I was mistaken?
Sorry for my mistaken!

[Furienna]

Bhutan is most likely a Therevada country. Theravada is the stricter form of buddhism, which says only monks can enter Nirvana after death. Mahayana is the more liberal form of buddhism, which can even be mixed with the country's pre-buddhist domestic religions, like it is in China and Japan.

[Next Star]

I always thiught the Japanese imperial family were buddhist but reading other members post they might be shinto or maybe a mixture of both I guess.

[Furienna]

The people in Japan are often both Shinto and Buddhists. I guess the same thing is true for the imperial family.

[norenxaq]

Originally Posted by Vanesa

Most of them are a mix of Buddhist and Shintoist. It's like in China, where people could be Buddhist and Taoist at the same time. I know it sound weird..but this is the way it is.

Vanesa.

japanese and chinese also follow confucius

[Furienna]

The Japanese follow Confucius too? I thought only the Chinese (and maybe the Koreans) were Confucians.

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by Furienna

The Japanese follow Confucius too? I thought only the Chinese (and maybe the Koreans) were Confucians.

No Japanese don't follow Confucius, the Japanese indigenous religion is Shinto, the imported faith is Buddhism. Much, much later and in a much smaller number Christianity starting with Catholicism.