You are on page 1of 3

Macam 1

Marx Macam
2-29-16
Japanese Art History
Case Study 1
A culture might accept a foreign belief system to complement its own. This was the case
with the indigenous Shinto religion of Japan and the adopted Buddhism of the west. Buddhism
did not replace the original Shinto kami, but always recognized their existence and power.
(History of Japanese Buddhism 2016). Because of neither dominating one another, the two
religions often coincided with one another, creating the school of Ryobu Shinto. The school
believed that Shinto kami were manifestations of Buddhist divinities. Buddhism was able to have
a harmonious coexistence with indigenous beliefs. But, even though Buddhist teachings were not
originally intended to deter Shintoism, the meaning and communication of the latter were
negatively affected by a coexistence.
The indigenous Japanese faith of Shintoism was quite a contrast from Buddhism. Shinto
had no founder, nor does it have sacred sculptures like the sutras (Shinto, 2016). Shintoism
was connected to the Japanese people and the tradition of proper rituals. Shintoism is a form of
Animism, meaning everything in the universe has a life force. The kami were sacred spirits in the
form of things occurring in nature, such as the waves, trees, and mountains. The Japanese people
are one with nature, and this is heavily emphasized in the Ise Shrine, built for Amaterasu,
Shintoisms most important kami. The shrine is built every 20 years, exactly the same, for the
last thousand years, showing a prevailing devotion to the indigenous religion. However, it is the
choice of materials that is worth noticing. Even today, the Ise Shrine is built with the same

Macam 2

Japanese indigenous architectural style and the same indigenous materials of thatch and wood.
The walls remain undecorated and plain, allowing the worshipper to focus their attention to what
truly is important: that connection with the life forces in nature. Even the layout for the Ise
Shrine shows this respect for nature, blending in with the natural surroundings.
One of Buddhisms biggest contrasts in terms of meaning and communication can be
seen in the architectural style for Buddhist temple complexes. A grand, lavish example is the
Todaiji Temple Complex from the Nara period. During this period of Japan, Buddhism was
declared the state religion, so more and more effort was poured into this faith. This is apparent
when looking at this gigantic complex. Two pagodas, each with their own courtyard, flank the
Great Buddha Hall, which is even larger in its own regard. The temple complex, like many other
Buddhist temple complexes, was based on Chinese palace plans, with tile roofs, decorated walls,
stone platforms, and other regal additions. The complex layout also dominates over the
surrounding nature, showing almost no regard for it. Whereas Shinto shrines connected
worshippers back to nature, Buddhist shrines seemed only to want to impress worshippers with
their extravagance. Quite ironic considering Buddhisms roots with Shaka Buddhas rejection of
material wealth and luxury.
This is where Shintoism was negatively affected by accepting the outside influence of
Buddhism. Shintoisms true meaning is in nature- the wind, the trees, the mountains. By
accepting the extravagance seen in Buddhist temple architectural style imported from the
Chinese, mixing the two religions voids the simplicity of Shintoism. The connection with nature
and the life forces that surround it are lost.

Macam 3

Works Cited
"History of Japanese Buddhism." History of Japanese Buddhism. Wisdom Books, 11 Sept. 2011.
Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"Shinto." Shinto. N.p., 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

You might also like