When surveyed, about 60-70% of Japanese say they have “no religion.” But watch them in January. They flood Shinto shrines. They buy sacred arrows for good luck.
So, what gives? The Japanese word for religion, shukyo, feels heavy and formal to them. It implies a strict doctrine with a founder. Most Japanese don’t do that.
They do custom. They do ritual. They do “grandma taught me to clap at the shrine.” It’s religion without the label.
