This essay explores the profound influence of Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, on Japanese cultural values, particularly its emphasis on harmony through principles such as Tatemae to Honne, Chinmoku, and Aimai.

Shinto revolves around numerous Kami, spirits that inhabit awe-inspiring manifestations of the natural world, such as trees, rivers, oceans, or mountains. However, Kami also extend beyond natural phenomena to include notable people, great skills, and emotions such as love.

It is evident that Shinto’s Kamis permeate all the aspects of life and therefore, as deities are immanent in the world, living in harmony with nature and fostering positive relationships with family members as well as the wider society, is very much taking care of one’s relationships with the Kami (Varley, 1987, p. 9).

While Shinto has never developed significant beliefs about life after death, “The Kami Way” has been extremely concerned about celebrating life and the forces that promote it. One of the most significant ways Shinto celebrates life is through Matsuri, which is a festival where a Kami is transferred into a portable shrine and paraded around the village. Such practice reinforces the community’s relationship with the spirit through celebrations involving sake, food, and performances like Sumo, Yabusame, and Noh theatre. Matsuri highlights the important role vested by the idea of community in Shinto tradition. (Varley, 1987, p.9)

The importance of harmony in Shinto was reinforced by Japan’s geographical determinism. The introduction of rice agriculture required Japanese people to settle in alluvial lowlands, forming tight-knit farming communities. This necessity for cooperation in rice cultivation naturally aligned with Shinto's emphasis on harmonious relationships, as maintaining good relations within the village was crucial for survival and well-being. (Varley, 1987, p.5).

In this context, Japanese culture developed principles to support their quest for harmony. One example is Honne To Tatemae. Honne refers to one’s true feelings, deep motives and intentions, while Tatemae refers to socially acceptable motives and intentions.  (Davies and Ikeno, 2002, p. 115). In this way, Japanese people have been able to analyse their feelings and express themself less directly.  In turn, this served the purpose of avoiding conflict among the community. Another example is the principle of Chinmoku, which means silence. In Japan’s society silence is seen as a true connection between people who can communicate without speaking. Conversely to other cultures, silence is something desirable as it’s related to the principle Uchi/Soto. Uchi, that is what comes from within, is deemed authentic and genuine, while Soto, that is the exterior, such as words, can be associated with falsity. (Davies and Ikeno, 2002, p.52). This aspect emphasises one’s presence over one’s words and reduces conflicts. One more example is Aimai, which means ambiguity. In Japanese society, ambiguity in communication is very present and serves the purpose of not making definite, hurting or divisive statements. (Davies and Ikeno, p.9-p.14)

Japanese culture has perfectly aligned moral values (Shinto), ethical values (for example Tatemae to Honne) and social interests (geographical determinism) to work perfectly towards harmony.

Thus, Japan has successfully transformed the derogatory Chinese kanji '倭' (Wa), meaning submissive or dwarf, into the kanji '和' (Wa), symbolizing harmony. This evolution reflects how Japanese culture has integrated Shinto’s moral values, ethical principles, and social interests to create a society deeply rooted in harmony.

References:

Varley, P. (1987). The Emergence of Japanese Civilization. In Japanese Culture (Vol. 4, pp. 9–9). essay, University of Hawai’i Press. 

Varley, P. (1987). The Emergence of Japanese Civilization. In Japanese Culture (Vol. 4, pp. 5–5). essay, University of Hawai’i Press. 

Davies, R. J., & Ikeno, O. (2002). Aimai:Ambiguity and the Japanese. In The Japanese Mind (pp. 9–14). essay, Tuttle. 

Davies, R. J., & Ikeno, O. (2002). Chinmoku: Silence in Japanese Communication. In The Japanese Mind (pp. 51–59). essay, Tuttle. 

Davies, R. J., & Ikeno, O. (2002). Honne To Tatemae: Silence in Japanese Communication. In The Japanese Mind (pp. 115–118). essay, Tuttle.