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At one point in time Christians were persecuted in Japan much like they are in the Middle east nowadays. Is the reason they are not persecuted political or religious?
"Arriving in Japan in the middle of the 16th century, Catholicism was the very first contact of Christianity in Japan, and the only major source of Christianization in Japan until the fall of the shogunate and the Meiji restoration.
Nagasaki became the center of Japanese Catholicism, and maintained close cultural and religious ties to its Portuguese origins.
These ties were severed once Christianity was outlawed; at this point, Catholicism went underground, its rites preserved by the Kakure Kiri****an, or "hidden Christians", who continued practicing their faith in secret private devotion.
A multitude of Japanese Catholics were brutally tortured and killed for their faith, thus becoming martyrs.
In fact, despite Christians making up about 1% of Japan's population, they have had 8 Christian Prime Ministers of Japan and Christianity is growing in Japan.
Not all cultures are equal. This is a mistaken belief that some make. If all cultures are equal, then explain to me how 2014 American culture is equal to 1834 American culture where black people are property and Indians are to be swept off the land or killed if they resist. If all cultures are equal, then how can anyone in the West be appalled by countries with honor killings of women over trivial things, not allowing women to drive cars, and etc... We can be appalled, because their culture is repugnant towards women in some countries.
It is ridiculous to think that Japan persecuted Christians in the 1600s so their culture today is equivalent to the Taliban that murders children for having the wrong beliefs within Islam.
Japan has evolved to become better (but not perfect), many other countries are several centuries behind the times culturally.
I think most of the population of Japan has outgrown their traditional religion (although they may still claim to believe in it) and doesn't really care what anyone believes as long as they are good citizens.
America, I believe and hope, is heading in the same direction.
No, there is no room for religious persecution in modern Japan. Hasn't been for some time. Japanese are all, above all, Japanese. Their culture is unfathomabley deep. Very difficult for dogmatic westerners to understand. Regardless of what spiritual faith a Japanese may have, they have the same cultural loyalty and identity. Bushido is still very much alive in Japan, albeit in a slightly modified form from its Samurai roots.
Persecution of converts during feudal times was more political than religious. Certain tenates of Christianity did not gel with rule by the daimyos and strict enforcement of Bushido and the caste society of the time. It was not seen as "persecution" so much as just the way of things. The famous Japanese fatalism.
Japanese are among the most curious societies in the work. It needs to be to live with so many in such a small area. But they do not like foreigners with their customs effects on the culture. That is shown by movement to pay foreigners to leave movement there. Its really no different than many booming areas here of former smaller cities and towns; they do not like what is being import with people from the boom.
As recently as World War 2 the leaders and government belonging to the majority religion of Japan, the Shinto, persecuted the rather large Buddhist community because the Buddhists abhorred the Fascist and militaristic regime. Although not a very religious society, Buddhism is growing in modern day Japan.
One can compare two Asian Nations that made contact with Catholicism in the 16th Century. One nation over 89% of its 85 million inhabitants are practicing Catholics making them more Catholic than Italians, Spanish, Mexicans or Brazilians. The other kept the Catholics at arms length and after a few years kicked them out to preserve its culture and way of life. Even today only a few percent of their people practice this foreign religion. So compare the Phillipines with Japan to see which nation got the better deal. The Phillipines is definately more fun.
One can compare two Asian Nations that made contact with Catholicism in the 16th Century. One nation over 89% of its 85 million inhabitants are practicing Catholics making them more Catholic than Italians, Spanish, Mexicans or Brazilians. The other kept the Catholics at arms length and after a few years kicked them out to preserve its culture and way of life. Even today only a few percent of their people practice this foreign religion. So compare the Phillipines with Japan to see which nation got the better deal.
I think you are setting up a pretty lame comparison.
The Philippines were repeatedly conquered and occupied in manner that stunted their growth.
Japan was only once conquered and never truly occupied. At the same time, Japan was one of the first industrialized countries on Earth, and the first in Asia.
Using that logic, I could just as easily say that citizens of countries with strong historical ties to Christianity are more prosperous on average than countries without those historical Christian ties. But that would be a silly conclusion, like yours.
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