Yesterday in culture class we learned a little bit about the two main Japanese religions.

Shintoism was the first major religion in Japan and was the native religion. It stresses respect for nature, and finds gods or holy spirits in the sun, rocks, trees, mountains, rivers, etc. Since the religion was just what the native people practiced, it doesn't have a holy book or a founder, and before Buddhism came to Japan, it didn't even have a name because there was nothing to contrast it with, it was just what everyone did. The name Shinto was invented then and means the way of the gods. One of it's main focuses is on purification, and before entering any Shinto shrines, you should use the water fountains outside to purify your hands and mouth. One interesting part of Shintoism is that it views death as an impure thing, and therefore has no death rituals. In early Japan, every time the emperor died, the capital was moved because it was seen as an impure place afterward.

Buddhism came from China through Korea to Japan and also gained a lot of popularity. Even though both religions are practiced by many in the same country, there usually aren't any conflicts between the two because both religions, apart from some small sects, are not exclusive religions.

There's an expression in Japanese that says something like "Shinto by birth, Buddhist by death." This is because Shinto has ceremonies for birth and marriage, but since it views death as impure, Buddhist ceremonies cover death. It might seem a little weird, but since both religions don't forbid you from practicing other religions, it's a system that works.