THE JAPANESE NEW BY

H. VAN STRAELEN S.V.D.

Even for long time residents in , it is by no means easy to get accustomed to the religious scene as it shows itself in so many divergent streams and in hundreds of religious associations. The peace- ful coexistence of several religions, completely different in origin and tenets, is an extremely rare phenomenon, at least in non-Asiatic coun- tries. Such things have never occurred in the West where, during the last nineteen centuries, has always been the common foundation for cultural development. The main reason why the Ja- panesc cultural scene is so extremely entangled, is to be found in totally different religions and hundreds of religious each of which has added some colours to the Japanese landscape. Therefore when we try to make a study of present-day Japanese religious life, we have by no means covered the subject when we have made some research into what has always constituted the three prin- cipal religions of Japan : , Shintoism and . Many other movements have sprung up which cannot be brought under these three main divisions. Especially during the last fifty years New Reli- gions have mushroomed all over Japan. The phenomena of the New Religions is something that no treatment of present day Japan which makes any claims to a semblance of com- ple.eness can ignore. They are one of the most vital aspects of modern Japanese life. Their vitality has been especially evident in the postwar period during which many religions have arisen, temporarily flourish- ed, and quickly died. Others have led a precarious existence with many vicissitudes, having periods of streng?h and weakness, but struggling or parading on. Not a few have already given birth to a number of religious offspring in the course of their short existence. Most of the New Religions which are most prominent today had also a prewar existence and merely experienced a new burst of vitality since the war. As soon as mention is made of the New Religions, the problem of terminology or delimitation arises. The Japanese term, Shinko Shukyo, 229 literally means "Newly Arisen Religions". Although it is a term in common use in Japan today, and although its signification is quite generally understood, its exact delimination is not always made clear. The problem centers around two questions relating to the meaning of "new", which is a very relative term. In terms of time, how new is new? At what point does the new become old? In terms of content, at what point does a body of doctrine or an organization become a ne7o rather than another within a larger religious tradi- tion ? The Western world faces a similar problem of terminology in regard to its "New Religions", "", or "Sects". In what precise classification do Mormons, , , Sweden- borgainism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unity, Unitarianism, etc. belong? Are they to be included within Christianity? Are they sects within ? 1). Are they to be regarded as New Religions ? Precise demarcation is always difficult. Japanese scholars are divided as to how much is to be included with the Shinkõ Shûkyõ classification, or whether, indeed, it is correct to speak of "New Religions" at all 2). Some apply it to religious organi- zations as old as Tenrikyõ (founded in 1838) and Konkokyo (founded in 185g). Others prefer to limit the term Shinko Shakyõ to that crop of religions which mushroomed immediately before and sincc the last war. Popular usage seems to side with the former. Professor Hiroo Takagi, a recognized scholar in this field, indicates three particular periods in which New Religions were established or made great advances : (I) around the beginning of the era ( i868),

1) In a study: "Visage des Sectes et Motifs de Dissidence", H. Ch. Chéry writes "Certains spécialistes, comme M. Jean Séguy veulent réserver le nom de sectes aux dissidences du protestantisme. En foi de quoi ils nous reprochent de compter comme secte par exemple l'Antoinisme, si connu des Belges... J'avoue ne pas très bien distinguer les motifs pour lesquels une dissidence créée par un catholique d'origine ne pourrait être qualifiée de secte. Par contre, l'usage du parler courant réserve sans aucune hésitation le nom de secte à ceux qui se sont détachés d'une communion religieuse principale, à laquelle ils appartenaient précédemment. Cette définition n'est pas appelée par l'étymologie, car le mot "secte" vient du latin sequor, qui signifie "suivre": d'après l'étymologie, on pourrait qualifier de secte tout groupement de gens qui suivent une certaine doctrine. Mais l'usage a prévalu, chez les tenants d'une reli- gion donnée, de traiter de sectes les groupements qui se sont séparés d'elle." (Dcvant les Sectes Non-Chrétiennes, Rapports de la XXXIe Semaine de Mis- siologie Louvain 1961, p. 29).