What happened to Christianity in Japan? Why did Japan become isolationist?
89265
The Japanese became isolationist because the Tokugawa shogunate wanted to consolodate thier power, and the overzealous christians were cutting into their power base. So they booted the christians out, and persecuted the Japanese christians who were left. They did allow the dutch to trade, however, because they were not interested in pushing thier religion. Also, the Japanese knew how the Europeans were colonizing China, and wanted no part of that either.\n\nConsidering what happened to the philipines and pretty much every other non-Western country that became christian (colonized and abused), the Japanese probably made the right decision.
657468
They were once predominately Buddhist, but due to authoritarian rule, they have become predominately atheistic. This is not to say there are no other religions there for there are. But most are practiced in secret. Christians are martyred there almost daily by the government of China.
426149
go to\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
269822
Japan saw the subjugation of all of Asia and felt they had to modernize, industialize and militarize immediately no matter what the cost. After Tom Cruise gave them a modern army, they began to expand into China. Japan sought out European friends, first Germany and then England. However, Japan always found themselves treated like the ugly sister in the relationship.\n\nThese problems would start cascading with the European reaction to Japan's success in the Russo-Japanese War and in the First World War. In 1905, at the Portsmouth treaty, Japan found herself having to return most of her military gains back to Russia who had lost the war. In WWI, Japan had done most of the fighting in expelling Germany from China, but the British took all of the credit and treated the Japanese Army very badly. After the war, Britain dropped out of the Japanese alliance because of pressure from the US. In 1920, at the Washington Naval Conference, the ratio of warships for Britain - US - Japan was 5-5-3, but because of the Britain-US closeness Japan saw this as 10-3. Teh League of Nations began to complain about Japanese presence in Manchuria, which led to Japan breaking ties with the rest of the world and invading China. When Japan signed the Tripartite Axis with Germany and Italy in 1940, the US put extreme economic pressure on Japan, leading up to Pearl Harbor.
899329
Japanese interests were not taken into account in this matter.\n\nWhat caused all of this was the reactionary media and public opinion manipulated by the media that was the root of all that happened.....plus, a little thing called greed.  And, for good measure, racism.
911951
separated from religion\n\n:> peace\n.
840163
You "tried" Christianity for 20 yrs. What happened? It didn't fit your lifestyle. Now that's funny.....or not.
842309
because christianity was so influenced by outside pagan sources that it eventually had to completely split from judaism due to no longer having anything in common, and become its own religion and not just a jewish sect.
246684
You are an idiot!  Don't you know antthing about WWII history?  The Japanese were warned several times and would not stop fighting.  The only way to end the war would have been to invade Japan causing millions of Japanese to die.  They were finatical about the war and would stop at nothing.  This was the only way to stop them.  Thank God some of you bleedy heart liberals weren't around during WWII.  We'd probably be speaking German or Japanese right now if you were.
1100711
According to Norris and Inglehart (2004), 65% of those in Japan do not believe in God, 64% of those in Sweden do not believe in God, 61% of those in the Czech republic do not believe in God.\n\nIf christians/muslims were right, why ain't Japan a total chaos? Why does Sweden have high life standards? In latin america, over 90% of the population believes in the christian god, why the violence? Why a lot of people in prison (most catholic / christians)? In Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, they believe in god, why the violence?\n\nIt seems morality has nothing to do with religion / god. The bible has some morals teachings, I still think Aesop fables are better, and nobody has killed in the name of Aesop (not that I am aware of).\n\nTrue morality is doing what has to be done, doing the right thing, even when men and gods aren't watching.
854848
Most churches (methodist, episcopal, presbyterian), broke away from the catholic church at one time or another over traditions, ceremonies and beliefs that were added to what the Bible taught. Everybody had their on idea of how to do it. The Baptist and Congregational churches separated from them because we accept only the Bible as our guide - traditions are not as important as the Bible.  And we believe that a personal relationship with Jesus is what makes one a Christian - not being a member of a church.
664144
There is some misinformation out there that Reiki is associated with Christianity. When Reiki was introduced to America in the 1930's, the woman (Takata) who introduced it created a story that described Usui (the founder of the Usui Reiki system) as a Christian Minister as well as being a Doctor. Through modern research, as well as talking with people who worked with Usui, we now know that neither of these teachings are true. Usui-San was a devout Buddhist who was many things in his life, but, a Doctor was not one of them. A Christian Minister was also not one of his trades.\n\nThis rather long drawn out story was concocted because Takata had to teach Reiki in America after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. ANYTHING Japanese during that time was hated by American. Takata felt that if she related Reiki and Usui to Christianity it would be accepted by a mostly Christiain society. She also felt that by calling Usui-San a Doctor, that Doctors were universally accepted and this too would help to overcome the Japanese prejudice found here in the USA during that time. It is still common today to hear people refer to Usui-San as a Doctor. I know of a group of Nuns who practice Reiki and teach both of these bits of misinformation.\n\nIt is also a common bit of misinformation to translate Reiki as "universal energy", where Reiki is thought of as purely a hands on healing modality. This is because the Japanese language has changed over time. The Reiki that Usui taught was named in old Kanji (old Japanese language). The common mis-translation in todays Reiki world comes from the use of new kanji (new Japanese language) script to make the translation.\n\nIn the Usui Reiki Ryoho style of Reiki (the most traditional form of Reiki), it is traditionally taught that the word Reiki - translated in the old Kanji script - means "spiritual essence" or "essence of being" and expounds the teachings of Usui-San - who was teaching a spiritual belief system where hand healing was but a very small part of the entire system. Those that worked with usui have said that when Usui talked of hand healing he did not use the word Reiki. Instead, when he talked of Reiki, he talked about our link with our essence of being - our connection with the past, present, and future.\n\nIf you go way back in Japanese history and look at healing of 'dis-ease' you will come to find that this was primarily done by Shaman and Priests - because disease was associated with either malicious or embittered spirits. It was the job of these priests to coerce the spirits to leave the afflicted individual through various means. One of these practices involved something called Teate (translated to mean 'placing of hands'). Teate, over time, evolved with the medical advancements of Japanese society. Perhaps the most notable addition to Japanese healing would come from the Chinese between the 7-9th centuries. During this time Chinese Trad Medicine would be introduced to Japan and would be accepted and integrated into the more traditional Japanese folk medicines. Chinese Trad Medicine would introduce the human energy system to the Japanese - meridians, Tan Tien, and Chi. The Japanese would take and adapt these theories into what they believed, creating similar, yet different, concepts. Another Chinese system that the Japanese would adapt would be Chi Gung (or Qi Gung) which was the projection of energy for the use of healing. The Japanese would use the term 'Kiko' to describe their practice.\n\nIn the west, it is a common mistake to simplify and associate in order to make ideas and concepts easier to understand. Unfortunately, by doing so, the subtle nuances and differences are lost that make these very things unique and different. This can readily be seen when many talk about energy work. It is a common practice to say Chi=Ki=Prana=Odinic=etc.., etc.. when, in fact, these different representations are different because they work wit
775850
Japan is a very homogeneous society they remain traditional and still let out side influences into there country. there old ways still aaare there in there every day lives.
374583
My guess would be the automobile industry along with electronic and/or appliances.  Japan had to pay its debt for cost of war and as the loser of war, so US might lead them to do what they (Japanese) do best to pay for the price of war.
66528
Here in the USA, we have based our sociatal rights and wrongs on a christianic/judiac system of morals. In that, anything of a sexual nature is wrong, whereas things of violence can pertain to you following the precepts of your faith. whether its being ready to die for your beliefs or more likely, to kill for them. In the eastern/asian systems, violence is wrong, and things of a sexual nature are much more highly tolerated. Take japan, you can very easily have nudity in a pg, but much of any violence raises it to an R. its also historicaly bases as well. As americans we have not had any personal access to real violence. whereas in japan they literaly had war on their mainland within the last generation. memories of things like that can last.
696320
Japan was doing the same thing in Asia that the Europeans did in the Middle East, India, and Africa, and which the U.S. did in North America.  They wanted natural resources, saw a weaker nation that had them, so they went in and took them.  Don't forget that they aren't the indigenous population of Japan any more than Caucasians are the indigenous population of America.  The original inhabitants of Japan were a Caucasian race called the Ainu, they are still there on a reservation on Hokkaido.  Historically a Just War is one that gets us what we want, even if it's at someone else's expense.  It's Unjust if it gets them what they want at our expense.  Easy to understand.
752990
Quickly:\nEach are headed out by a leader. Japan has an emperor and Europe has a king. Neither controlled a huge amount of power for small regions and so that power was handed down to others.\n\nIn Japan there was the shoguns and in Europe they had their lords. Working under the lords were knights and the Japanese version of a knight is the samurai.\n\nAt the bottom were peasants for both Europe and Japan, though merchants were even below that in Japanese feudal society.