Buddhism in Japan movement to eradicate Buddhism and bring Shinto to ascendancy arose throughout the country due to the strong connections of Buddhism to the Shōguns. During the Meiji period (1868–1912), after a coup in 1868, Japan abandoned its feudal system and opened up to Western modernism. Shinto became the state religion. Within the Buddhist establishment the Western world was seen as a threat as well as a challenge to stand up to. Buddhist institutions had a simple choice: adapt or perish. Rinzai and Soto Zen chose to adapt, trying to modernize Zen in accord with Western insights, while simultaneously maintaining a Japanese
Childbirth in Japan women drop out of the labor force to raise children. Three times as many women are employed part-time as men. The Japan Council for Quality Health Care administers the Japan Obstetric Compensation System for Cerebral Palsy, a no-fault compensation system for the care of delivery-related cerebral palsy. Religion, as practiced in Japan today, includes Shintoism (83.9%), Buddhism (71.4%), Christianity (2%), and other (7.8%). Total adherence exceeds 100% because many identify with both Shintoism and Buddhism. Shinto shrines, honoring gods and goddesses of ancient Japanese mythology, decorate the landscape of Japan. Shintoism is based on earlier animistic and shamanistic traditions, and