Generalisations about how any national group understands the world are difficult, but here is an attempt to summarise or describe what may be in the minds of many Japanese people, whether consciously or sub-consciously, when it comes to matters of faith:

No universal God:  Many Japanese believe that there is no universal God. The Japanese word “kami” represents a very different idea from the God of the Bible. There is no simple word in Japanese for the universal and transcendent God of the Bible.

No heaven or hell:  Japanese people often do not have a concept of heaven or hell. There are some ideas about achieving enlightenment in Buddhism but no heaven and no hell. A dead person’s spirit is usually not believed to have gone anywhere, at least not off to a different realm, however something does continue after their death.

No devil, sin or judgement:  Japanese people typically believe that there is no devil or evil power and also that human nature is basically good. There is often no concept of sin – not in the sense of a Christian's understanding of sin. The Japanese word usually used for sin is “tsumi” which is basically crime, offence or wrongdoing. A Japanese person will struggle with the idea that he or she is a sinner who needs grace, as human nature is basically good, in their thinking. Similarly, there is no judgement, since (with very few exceptions) most people have not committed crimes worthy of judgement.

No clear scriptures:  For many Japanese there are no clear scriptures on what to believe, and therefore no basis of faith. No clear set of “commandments” on how to behave. e.g. one can’t say “do not lie,” or “lying is always wrong” - things depend on the context. It may depend on what will be best for maintaining harmony in a relationship.

Harmony is key:  The highest value is probably wa – harmony, or harmonious relationships with others. Therefore ideas of good and evil, right and wrong, can be relative. They will normally be considered in relation to what preserves harmony in any given situation, rather than as absolutes.

Christianity perceived as Western:  Finally, Christianity is often perceived as Western and not suitable for Japanese people.

Those are some examples of what may be in the minds of many Japanese in matters of faith.  

See also our page on Understanding Japanese thinking