Cultural Identity and Buddhism in Japan

Abstract

Cultural identity seems to be very much individual, subjective, vague and fl uid
although collective identity in a group is also referred to as cultural identity. Japanese people
had to have a religious identity as Buddhists in the Edo period because everyone was affiliated
with a Buddhist monastery. Although it is almost impossible to preserve religious identity in the
process of modernization, it is necessary for Japanese Buddhism to provide with satisfactory
supply of religious supports. I would like to look into the history of Buddhism in Japan to
find out why Buddhism does not meet the religious demand from Japanese people. In this
presentation, I will talk about the characteristics of Japanese cultural identity with regard to
religions, especially Buddhism.