Talking of globalization, most people tend to think only in the line of economic globalization. They do not relate globalization to culture and language that is the most rampant aspect of globalization in the contemporary world. According to David (2010), globalization has remarkably increased flexibility in the native non-Western cultures across the world. Various non-Western cultures have gone through globalization particularly in Japan. The first native non-Western culture in Japan is that will be looked at is the cultural language (Bachika, 2008). The other globalized native non-Western culture is food culture in Japan. Religion as culture in Japan is another area that globalization has affected. The study will only concentrate on the effect of globalization on the two separate native cultures in Japan, and those are Food Culture and Religion Culture (David, 2010).
Looking at the Religion in Japan, there was no mythology but a scanty explanation of any other world (David, 2010). However, the tale of Izanagi-no-Mikoto who visited Yomi (Hades) gives beat of promises prosperity. The mythology of Shinto argued that, things begin when immature and not perfect; later on, they grow better with time provided the gods’ protection continued to exist. According to David (2010), this believe existed, and even the change in history did not change. Japan maintained their religion until the World War II ended. They performed Shinto rituals and rites throughout Japan in solidarity (David, 2010). Even with globalization the traditions still exist but with some difference. The nation would perform rites to the gods in the ancient days. Japanese used to do this in a central place in Japan from the prehistoric times. The arrival of catholic fathers in Japan in 16th century advanced the Confucianism by Sorai (David, 2010). Education came by, people decided to embrace a new way of worship. This need for the new religion Japanese considered “rush hour of god.” A number of people were reluctant to join the new religions. Buddhism later turned out to be the funeral religion as it was only popular when there was a burial. There is confusion between the cultural religion and the new religions among the Japan people.
Consumption of rice has taken a center stage in the Japanese food culture for the past 2000 years and more. People would serve rice with vegetable and marine products in the ancient days before the idea of globalization (David, 2010). This existed for quite a long period before Japan opened for the West. Japan, however has since developed a variety of food culture with some foreign food adapted to taste as Japanese food while others are imported unchanged. Buddhist religion did away with flesh food leaving vegetarian style known as shojinryori, popularized by the Zen. According to David (2010), the currently known sushi was residential in Edo, currently as Tokyo. The change in Japan food culture started in the mid-16th century when the European missionaries arrived (David, 2010). The arrival of western culture in Japan brought the idea of meat eating, which is currently considered Japanese food, sukiyaki. The other popular native food developed during this time is tonkatsu, deeply fried breaded pork. According to David (2010), globalization has led a variety of food stocked in various supermarkets except in the rural areas. The number of food variety and the customers who eat the food increased that led to food importation by Japan for a number of years. Cooking in Japan is currently on TV programs.
Effect of globalization on religion in Japan began when the catholic priest came to Japan. They came as missionaries and facilitated education. As per David (2010), the missionaries got interested in the study of Buddhism, and the study done by Nakamoto Tominga between 1715 to 1746 received scholarship appreciations. Japan continued to receive stimulations from western countries via Nagasaki and Hirado. Scholarly work did so well this period of Edo that made it easy to translate much western term into Japan in the Meiji period (Bachika, 2008).The main reason that might have led to this was the rapid modernizing process in Japan. After World War II resulted to decline in agriculture and visiting people (Bachika, 2008). The quick growth of school attendance by the Japanese significantly led to the spread of foreign culture in Japan and consequent increased knowledge in the scientific area. By the end of 1955 school attendance rose to a constant 99.9 percent (Bachika, 2008). So many western people saw this and got interest to join Japan and as they were walking in, they came with their religion, having succeeded in bringing formal education in Japan it was also easy for them to influence their religion.
The influence on Japans’ religion by globalization was intentional. According to David (2010), large followers of the new religion rose during the modernization time of Japan. Since they knew they would be alienated and would to their suffering from the economic hardship of the post-world war II, the SokaGakkai grew up from a handful followers in 1951 to eight million around 1980 (Bachika, 2008). This group decided to leave the rural land for the urban dwellings. As the contemporary Buddhist, they became concerned with the current life and worldly achievements. The worldly oriented way of worship is the current influence of religion in Japan (Bachika, 2008). SokaGakkai is the true depiction of how globalization has affected religion. To achieve their big dream, SokaGakkai claimed 1.26 million followers in over 120 branches worldwide. This shows that religion has gone global. Other religions in Japan may have not attained globalization level but have a concern about their people. According to David (2010), individual spiritualism is a new trend in Japan the younger generations is embracing. The outcome of globalization in Japan religion looked into in various ways but mostly an intentional way of religion.
A number of people subconsciously embraced the change in religion while others were very careful to adapt these varieties of religion (Bachika, 2008). The native and non-western society considered the rising religion as rushing to the gods. The society became even more cautious when the doomsday by Aum Shin cult happened in Japan. People became so reluctant to join new religious organizations (Bachika, 2008). It was now that the youths decided to personalize and individualize religion. A large population of Japanese preferred to have spirituality manifested in one’s personal lifestyle. Individual spiritualism replaced the communal spiritualism by the old generation. The younger generation opted to express their religion through the internet or any artistic work like novels and literature works. According to David (2010), it is through these media that Yoshimoto Banana used to air occultism. The society is to see how individual spirituality will fully develop. Globalization cannot finish the spiritual passion the people of Japan it can only change the form or expression spiritual passion (Bachika, 2008). However, there were those members of the society who opted to embrace the new religion with an intention of surviving the hard economic times. There was no universal reception given by the native society because of globalization.
References
Bachika, R. (2008). New Era in Traditional Religious Culture. Transaction Publishers.
David, L. (2010). A Buddhist History of the West: Studies in Lack. New York, University Press.
Kazahara, K. (2009). A History of Japanese Religion. Kozei, University Press.
