The Shadow of Confucius

Are you sometimes mystified by inconsistencies in Japanese behavior? If so, you have company! Even Japanese spend a lot of time trying to understand Japan. Thousands of Nihonjinron books, each attempting to explain some aspect of Japan, fill bookstore shelves. Even so, one major influence on Japanese culture is easily overlooked—Confucianism. The shadow of Confucius touches nearly all aspects of Japanese society.

Confucianism in Japanese History

Few Japanese people identify themselves as followers of Confucius today, but history reveals the depth of his influence on Japanese society. In 604 AD, Prince Shōtoku gave Japan its first constitution, a strongly Confucian document that opens with the declaration, “Harmony is to be valued”¹—words that echo the Analects of Confucius.² Later Japanese rulers implemented the Ritsuryō law system, which was also rooted in the teachings of Confucius. In the 17th century, the Tokugawa shogunate adopted Neo-Confucianism as its philosophy, and in 1790, the Kansei Edict forbade teaching any doctrine that conflicted with Neo-Confucianism. Japanese Bushidō, the Way of the Warrior, was also largely based on Neo-Confucianism.

Confucianism in Modern Japan

At the end of World War II, Japan adopted a constitution based on western ideals, but Japanese schools still teach Confucian topics, and Confucian values shape many areas of Japanese life:

• In society, the emphasis on education and exams directly reflects Confucian teachings. Japanese assumptions about human goodness and egalitarianism also find their source in Confucianism.
• In Japanese Buddhism, the placement of memorial tablets (ihai) in the butsudan (Buddhist family altar) and the practice of ancestor worship are Confucian—Buddhism did not originally include such things.
• In Shintō, activities such as prayers and offerings to spirits are consistent with Confucianism. Also, the practice of using neighborhood association dues to support shrines and festivals—thus involving all local residents—reflects the Confucian view that community takes precedence over individual beliefs.
• The Japanese emphasis on order, harmony, and rituals of social courtesy come from Confucianism. The use of honorific language (keigo) further reflects Confucian values such as humility, respect for superiors, and attention to status in relationships.

Although Japanese culture has departed from Confucian values in some areas, Confucian thinking remains evident throughout Japanese society, where it often serves as a unifying influence.

The Impact of Confucian Values

From childhood, Japanese experience three diverse ways of understanding the world. Buddhism trains Japanese in ethics that emphasize respect for family, thankfulness, humility, responsibility, patience, compassion, and reverence for ancestors. Shintoism encourages Japanese to celebrate community and nation, and to ask for the help of many gods in their pursuit of happiness. Secular schools teach science, reason, pragmatism, and a man-centered philosophy, sidelining religious belief.

These influences are well known, but they are Confucian values which mold society, allowing Japanese to participate freely in Buddhism, Shintoism, and secular humanism without being disturbed by their contradictions.

The western missionary is baffled when a man who claims to be an atheist prays at a Shinto shrine and purchases good luck charms (omamori) for his car and home. We are perplexed when a woman who does not believe in the afterlife reports her family news at the butsudan and burns incense to a long-dead ancestor. We despair when Japanese friends cannot understand why such things concern us.

However, such contradictions are resolved if we view Japanese behavior from the standpoint of Confucian values. Confucius emphasized maintaining tradition, knowing one’s place, respecting authority, and fulfilling one’s assigned role as essentials for social harmony. Today, these same values lead Japanese to subordinate personal beliefs to the Confucian imperative in order to fulfill their appropriate role in each situation.

A Real Life Example

One day, a middle-aged Japanese man thanked me for the Bible lesson. “Thank you so much for teaching me. I now understand that the Bible is true and that Jesus is the only Savior.” He went on to explain that he would honor his first missionary teacher by having his son sprinkle his ashes on the missionary’s grave after he died. Then he added, “But I could never be a Christian.” Later, he explained that he had promised his grandmother that he would hold her Buddhist memorial ceremonies—which would continue until the 50th anniversary of her death. Since he did not expect to live that long, he felt he could never be a Christian.

How many Confucian values can you identify in this man’s story?

First, I notice his desire to study new things and his thankfulness to his teachers. Second, I see his desire to honor his first teacher and to teach this respect to his son. Third, I notice that the obedience of his son is assumed. Fourth, I see filial piety in his life-long dedication to fulfilling his grandmother’s request. Lastly, I see how his obligation to an ancestor takes precedence over his personal beliefs and needs. At the time, this man’s thinking was a mystery to me, but from a Confucian viewpoint, it all makes sense.

Confucian Bridges for the Gospel

Confucianism is not really a religion; it is a system of secular ethics. As such, it includes both barriers to faith and bridges for the gospel. Here are a few thoughts about possible bridges:

• Confucius viewed family relationships as being of utmost importance. Today, many Japanese are lonely as their families are fragmented by distance or relational stress, but the church can offer adoption into a vibrant family with a loving Father and a multitude of brothers and sisters.
• Confucius taught that righteousness can be achieved through study and discipline, but history and personal experience both reveal our fallen condition. We can encourage Japanese to recognize this and to turn to Jesus to receive His righteousness.
• The Confucian goal for individuals is to become complete men, fully human, perfect in all virtues. We can show that Jesus is the only perfect man in history, fully human and fully God, and that we can only become complete through a relationship with Him.
• The Confucian goal for society is the creation of a grand harmony, with music as the example. We can present heaven as the place of perfect harmony, filled with heavenly music.
• One verse in the Analects of Confucius is of particular interest. “Zi Gong asked: ‘Is there a word with which we should act in accordance throughout our lifetime?’ Confucius replied: ‘It is ‘forgiveness’. Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you.’”³ Comparing this quote to Scriptures such as Ephesians 4:32 and Matthew 7:12 can lead to fruitful discussion.
• The life and writings of Kanzō Uchimura, one of Japan’s most famous Christians, provide a model of how Confucian values can empower a Japanese believer.

Uchimura embraced the Confucian value of loyalty, but chose Christ as the One worthy of his loyalty. Uchimura’s tombstone is inscribed with his words, “I for Japan, Japan for the World, The World for Christ, And All for God.”⁴

Reading about Confucius’ teachings and Japanese history has helped me to understand Japanese culture in new ways. For those who are interested, I recommend the Analects of Confucius and Prince Shōtoku’s Seventeen Article Constitution as places to begin study. 

1.The Seventeen Article Constitution of Japan, accessed July 22, 2014, http://www.duhaime.org/ LawMuseum/LawArticle-1182/604-The-Seventeen-Article-Constitution-of-Japan.aspx.
2. Analects of Confucius, chapter 1, verse 12, accessed July 22, 2014, http://www.chinesewiki. com/Analects_of_Confucius.
3. i Ibid, chapter 15, verse 23, accessed July 22, 2014.
4. Uchimura Kanzō, accessed July 23, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uchimura_Kanzo.