Why do Japanese people visit shrines and temples?
Source: survey by JTB travel agency
A survey of 3,600 Japanese adults shows that 52% visited a shrine or temple in the past year. (Of those who didn’t, most simply didn’t have a reason to go; only 8% of all respondents specifically said they were totally uninterested in religious places.) The reasons shrinegoers and templegoers gave for visiting were as follows:
22% There were things I wanted to see in the surrounding area
21% There’s something special about that place
18% I visit that place regularly
11% No reason in particular
8% I felt like I wanted to pray
5% A relative or friend asked me to go
4% I was taken there on a tour
4% I saw it on TV or in a magazine
4% I was attending a special event or service there
3% Other
If these reasons seem a bit unflattering, the positive reactions from visiting should be more encouraging:
40% I felt soothed / my heart was calmed
19% The buildings were very pretty
13% I felt like I should go more often
10% My ki/energy was renewed
10% The souvenirs were good
4% I gained something from visiting
2% I enjoyed talking with local people
2% Other
Furthermore 56% go to temples and shrines together with their families, while only 15% go alone. A supermajority are praying for the health and safety of family members.
JTB found that about 18% of Japanese people would like to visit either Ise or Izumo this year if they can find the time. Other popular choices include Itsukushima, Meiji Jingū, Kiyomizu-dera, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, Atsuda Jingū, Kumano Sanzan, Fushimi Inari, Nikkō, Takachiho, and Kirishima-Jingū. A mixture of tourism-related, history-related, cultural heritage-related, and “power spot” reasons were given for these choices.
Posted: March 4th, 2013 | Shinto 1 Comment »
Nice post! Interesting. I fell when visiting a shrine, a renewed energy.