Q&A: Sabbath and Sunday in Japan
Sabbath and Sunday in Japan
Question
Hello Rabbi,
What should one do on Sundays in Japan? Does one need to be stringent about Torah-level prohibitions?
Answer
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/3306&ved=2ahUKEwiz4M2Ji8qLAxUgcKQEHVD4C5EQFnoECCQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3E-LGVGS5_JcaYzPzp7nnd
I think one may be lenient.
Discussion on Answer
I’m not sufficiently familiar with Shinto, and a bit more familiar with Buddhism. Buddhism is not really a religion, as far as I understand, and therefore I don’t think it has the status of idolatry. As for Shinto, I’m not familiar with it, as I said. In any case, when you’re walking in the street you can’t avoid seeing things, so there’s nothing you can do about that. Keep in mind that there is a prohibition against deriving benefit from idolatry and praising its beauty.
Thank you very much for the quick response.
Does one also need to be careful there about idolatry?
I’m not planning to go specifically to temples, but there are cities like Kyoto where just walking down an ordinary street, every other block there are temples… Is there anything one should avoid, unlike in China for example, where they no longer worship idols?