First things first, I have no problems with Jesus, I just really do not like it how there are people in this world who go to great lengths to push the messages. As a philosopher, I believe that people should be self-motivated to start believing in something... oops almost went a little far there, sorry. Nah, Jesus I'm pretty sure is/was an awesome guy. If he were alive today, I honestly think he and Buddha would be chilling and living an average human life... that brings me to my first view, the manga (comic) Saint Young Men.
In this manga series, Jesus and the Gautama Buddha live in the modern day world, and just want to live like normal people, but they keep getting recognized for who they are. It's a funny manga. Don't take it as blasphemy.
My second view is an interesting find in the Aomori prefecture in a small town called Shingo.
In the Bible, it chronicles the events of what Jesus was doing from the age of about 1-24 then skips somewhere to when he's 33 and the last supper, good friday, et cetera. We know all about what he did in the bible, but there's most definitely stuff that happened that wasn't written. In this town, lies what claims to be the actual tomb of Jesus. The story goes: Jesus got away from the holy land, migrated to Siberia, traveled east, and ended up in Japan. When he arrived he learned Shintoism and mostly everything about Japan's lifestyle. After a while, Jesus returned to the Holy land, and taught his disciples about Shintoism. They did not like that so he fled back to Japan. The one who took the fall and got crucified was Jesus' brother, Isukiri. Jesus lived in Shingo until he was 106. Sounds like something out of the Da Vinci code.
I have encountered many people who have been pushing the message of Jesus here. I was stopped once on the street after getting some curry, when I was approached by three nice old ladies who wanted to speak to numero uno here, that never happens. They told me that I would get some free food (yeah I was still hungry) if I went with them to their choich. I was brought in, given a cup of tea, and talked to a pastor with the 3 women. They started chanting.... I was supremely freaked out, so I masked my feelings by joining them. After a small lecture about Jesus, I was told that I should be baptized, they told me to go in a room, change into some robes and get dunked... NO WAY WAS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN. I slammed the tea and ran out of there... OH MAN DID I FEEL DIRTY. I guess these pentecostals we have in America have influenced some believes here.
South Korea is full of Christians in order to rebel against the highly Confucian North Korea. In the bible they have the part that says to spread the good word. In Japan, churches that are run by Koreans have begun to take over. Back in March, I was approached by some in Takadanobaba and they told me that I should come to their church because there are English speakers, and FREE FOOD. (I was poor at the time). I went the next Sunday. These past few months I have been going to it, just because Sundays are boring. I was coaxed into going mainly because of one of their missionaries. He's a cool guy, but he was calling me practically everyday and asking me the same things over and over. I enjoyed meeting new people, and the food was good. Soon came a retreat to Nagano. I was asked continuously about going and thought about it and overall I went. I stayed on a mountain in a tent for 4 days doing nothing but hearing lectures about Jesus. When I hear camp and Jesus, I think of the camp I went to when I was ten. We went on hikes and did lots of activities. I told them that I only wanted to go for one day, and they kept me there, it really made me angry. But the Nagano air was very nice and peaceful, so that kept me going. Met some truely wonderful people too. I am always curious to see how people believe and such.
Overall, Christ was introduced here in Japan by a missionary named Francis Xavier who came and forced some to believe. There was backlash and many suicides happened because of that. The anime Samurai Champloo tells about this loosely in the last few episodes.
I have just one final rant here: I live in a country that is dominated by 2 beliefs: Shintoism and Buddhism. They are equal, they don't strive to push the messages of their believes forward, and don't argue as to which is better... I think I know a country that could greatly learn from that.
