Shrines and Temples in Japan Were Once the Same #Shrine #Japan #Shinto #Buddhism #japanlife
Shrines and temples were not always separate.
When Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century, gods and Buddhas were treated as one.
Statues of Buddha were placed in shrines. Shinto deities were enshrined in temples.
This blended state lasted over 1,200 years.
The Meiji government forcibly separated them.
In 1868, the Shinbutsu Bunri decree was issued.
To build a state religion, gods and Buddhas were divided.
Buddhist statues were removed from shrines across the country.
In some areas, Buddhist structures were destroyed.
The common sense of today — shrines for Shinto, temples for Buddhism — was created by the government 150 years ago.
For the 1,200 years before that, Japanese people worshipped both in the same place.
When Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century, gods and Buddhas were treated as one.
Statues of Buddha were placed in shrines. Shinto deities were enshrined in temples.
This blended state lasted over 1,200 years.
The Meiji government forcibly separated them.
In 1868, the Shinbutsu Bunri decree was issued.
To build a state religion, gods and Buddhas were divided.
Buddhist statues were removed from shrines across the country.
In some areas, Buddhist structures were destroyed.
The common sense of today — shrines for Shinto, temples for Buddhism — was created by the government 150 years ago.
For the 1,200 years before that, Japanese people worshipped both in the same place.
