In Japan, the majority of people identify as non-religious. Some may say they follow Buddhism, but it's often more of a cultural practice or set of values than what many people overseas would consider a “religion.” In that sense, people who actively belong to a specific religious group are relatively rare in Japan.

as someone who may travel abroad again, I’d like to understand how religion is viewed in different cultures, just to be prepared. It might be an unusual question, but I’d really appreciate your insights.

From the USA- there are a large amount of atheists here, but likewise there's a lot of religious people, mainly Christians. The tolerance level they have for eachother depends a lot. From my personal experience, most atheists don't mind religious people, but many Christians consider being atheist blaphamus and dislike them. though again, this can vary a lot.

though a lot of non-religious people do still celebrate Christian holidays. Christmas and Easter are probably the best examples. Christian imagery like angels and devils also often appear in pop culture outside of Christian circles.

In Romania, 85% of the country is Christian. I do see hardcore Christians call atheists, agnostics, and those who are not associated with religious organizations as heretics/blasphemers. Non-religious folk seem to not care about religion.

Thank you for your reply!!☺（Idk how to mention…）

Thank you for your reply. When speaking with a Christian, which would be considered a more acceptable answer: saying “I’m a Buddhist (a follower of another religion)” or “I’m an atheist”?

Also, what do you think about non-Christians or atheists visiting famous Christian churches or cathedrals? I’d be grateful to hear your personal thoughts as well, if you don’t mind sharing. (Since this is a slightly difficult topic, I’m using a translation tool.)

Hey yagara, If you are asked, then just be sincere on whether or not you are Christian. If you notice that they are a "hardcore" Christian, then tell them respectfully and politely that you're simply curious in Christianity.

I’ve always wondered the opposite question. I know that most Japanese people aren’t very religious, but I have a few Japanese friends who are Christian. How are religious people treated in Japan?

Okay! Thank you sincerely for your thoughtful response!!:D it was truly enlightening.

>To Angelina￤ To be honest, this is just my personal impression, but I feel that many Japanese people instinctively react with caution when they hear the word “religion.” They may not show it outwardly, but there’s often a subtle unease—or even concern—especially if someone they know is involved in a religious group.

This reaction is shaped by Japan’s history with religion-related incidents. For example, there was a large-scale terrorist attack carried out by a cult, and more recently, a shocking case where a former prime minister was assassinated—partly due to religious ties. Japan is a country with strict gun control, so the fact that the perpetrator built a homemade gun made the incident even more disturbing.

There are also stories of people losing their entire fortunes, or even their lives, because of religious involvement.

Thank you for replying to my question, the culture in Japan surrounding religion seems very different than how it is in America. Like other people pointed out, it’s normal to be religious but odd to be an atheist or even agnostic (someone who believes in a god but does not follow religion).

（I didn’t know you could only post 10 comments a day…）In a society where religion isn’t part of everyday life, even isolated incidents like these tend to stand out. That’s why I think many Japanese people harbor a kind of fear, suspicion, or sense of “sketchiness” when it comes to religion.

That said, this reaction usually applies only when Japanese people themselves are involved in religion—especially if it’s a lesser-known faith, rather than something widely recognized like Buddhism or Christianity.

Most people in Japan are aware, through school education, that religion is a normal part of life in many countries, and that Japan’s high rate of non-religious individuals is actually unusual from a global perspective. So when a foreigner says they belong to a religion, the typical response is either a polite “Oh, I see,” or genuine curiosity and respectful questions.

I spent most of my life in the US, raised Catholic but personally considered myself an atheist. I lived in a fairly diverse part of the country so religion ended up being something that didn't end up being a huge deal amongst people I knew, but that certainly isn't the case everrwhere.

(meant to post this as a separate paragraph) A few months ago I moved to the Philippines, which I believe is around 80-85% Catholic, and it is a huge part of the culture here (and why I was raised Catholic). There are churches and religious advertisements everywhere, and many people/businesses take a week off in April for Holy Week.

Coming from a fairly agnostic place to such an overtly religious place is a bit jarring to me, to be honest, but people aren't pushy about it. I don't go out of my way to talk about religion, but if people ask me what I believe I'm honest about it.

brazil is suuuuper religious,it has a lot of different religions but still people here are kinda intorelant with atheists especially because most people here are from the catholic church

Thank you all for your responses!! This really made me realize how different the sense of religion in Japan is compared to other countries. I learned a lot from this🙇