Hajji-San Goes to Mecca………..
“The road to Hajj in the Land of the Rising Sun begins with the little known fact that there are ethnic Japanese Muslims. Everyday the call to prayer is made in different corners of the predominantly Buddhist country - unobtrusively within the confines of its 50 or so mosques and approximately 100 musollas or communal prayer rooms. Twenty-six-year-old Kubo-san prays at a small musolla in the agricultural district of Saitama, about two hours outside the capital, Tokyo. Built 15 years ago by Bangladeshi workers, Kubo is the only ethnic Japanese in the congregation. "I was born into a very ordinary Japanese family," he says. "We did not have a strong sense of religion." Kubo's upbringing mirrors that of many Japanese - their attitudes and philosophy towards life shaped by the ancient religion of Shinto. An ancient polytheistic faith, Shinto involves the worship of nature and is unique to Japan. While divination and shamanism is used to gain insights into the unknown, there are no formal scriptures or texts, nor a legacy of priesthood that structures the religion. After the Second World War, Shinto suffered a huge setback when the emperor was forced to denounce his status as a 'living god'. ………… Twenty-six-year-old Kubo-san prays at a small musolla in the agricultural district of Saitama, about two hours outside the capital, Tokyo. Built 15 years ago by Bangladeshi workers, Kubo is the only ethnic Japanese in the congregation……. Kubo's upbringing mirrors that of many Japanese - their attitudes and philosophy towards life shaped by the ancient religion of Shinto. An ancient polytheistic faith, Shinto involves the worship of nature and is unique to Japan. While divination and shamanism is used to gain insights into the unknown, there are no formal scriptures or texts, nor a legacy of priesthood that structures the religion. After the Second World War, Shinto suffered a huge setback when the emperor was forced to denounce his status as a 'living god'. While many historians would claim that the Japanese people lost their faith after this, recent surveys suggest that at least 85 per cent still profess their belief in both Shintoism and Buddhism……….”
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