Ikaruga City & The Official Religion of Japan...

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:18 pm

http://urano.org/kankou/ikaruga/
http://urano.org/kankou/ikaruga/horyuji2.htm

So, apparently Ikaruga is a real Japanese City.

With cool Japanese Citadels & pagoda.

And nice Eastern-Asian Gardens

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:28 pm

Looks like a beautiful town to me... Who'd want to shoot that place up?

BTW, wasn't there a thread about this before? Possibly on the old forum!?
Still nice looking pics.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:38 pm

This site is probably more useful:

http://www.town.ikaruga.nara.jp/ENGLISH12/index-e.html

I am Pago-chan.
I am the mascot of Ikaruga Town.
My appearance is a persimmon with hat moddeled after the top of pagoda. It originated from the famous poetry: Kaki Kueba Kane ga Narunari Horyuji( It sounded a bell of Horyuji Temple just as I had a persimmon.)
Pago-chan was named for pagoda, buddism tower in Oriental world.
So I introduce the outline of Ikaruga Town.

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:51 pm

By the way, is Buddhism the official religion of Japan today?
If so, has it always been?

This temple & the landscape covered with snow, is so cool.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:15 pm

ST Dragon wrote:By the way, is Buddhism the official religion of Japan today?
If so, has it always been?

It's one of the two religions which are considered to be official.
Shinto is the other "official" religion.

here's a nice readup on this.

http://www.asianartmall.com/shintoarticle.htm

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:13 pm

Very interesting.
Thanks for clearing that up.

I’ve also read that Japanese people strongly believe in fate in a predestinarian (fatalist) way.
That’s very evident judging from Japanese anime & games. There are a lot of references of fate interfering in the lives of mortals & that it’s impossible to go against fate

Example:
Nausicaa’s of the Valey of the Wind (Warriors of the Wind)
Towards the end of the film, when the old blind woman & the two young girls are patiently waiting for their doom inside the ancient starship, as the angry Ohmu herd is closing by, one of the girls asks: “Grandma are we going to die”? & the old woman replies: “If fate commands it, we can only obey”

There are no references to "fate" in that article how ever.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:19 pm

Interesting question about fate.

Another question: What does "official" mean here? Isn't there a separation of church and state, as there is supposed to be here in the States?

BTW, isn't that the coolest looking map, the one above?

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:44 pm

Not all countries have separated the church from the state.
Besides the US is one of the least homogeneous nations in the world, so it’s only natural that they don’t have an official religion.
It’s not the same case with Japan however.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:58 pm

Basically nowadays the only countries with an official religion are certain Muslim countries whose political and/or legal systems are based entirely on Islam, like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Most countries have complete religious freedom, even if their constitution may reference some higher being, so strictly speaking there is no official religion in those countries, although there is usually a historically or culturally dominant religion. It's not really useful to use the term "official religion" in this context though.

BTW, Japan's current constitution includes no religious references whatsoever and guarantees complete religious freedom.

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:26 pm

ST Dragon wrote:Very interesting.
Thanks for clearing that up.

I’ve also read that Japanese people strongly believe in fate in a predestinarian (fatalist) way.
That’s very evident judging from Japanese anime & games. There are a lot of references of fate interfering in the lives of mortals & that it’s impossible to go against fate

Example:
Nausicaa’s of the Valey of the Wind (Warriors of the Wind)
Towards the end of the film, when the old blind woman & the two young girls are patiently waiting for their doom inside the ancient starship, as the angry Ohmu herd is closing by, one of the girls asks: “Grandma are we going to die”? & the old woman replies: “If fate commands it, we can only obey”

There are no references to "fate" in that article how ever.

Let us not forget Berserk.

"In this world... is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the Hand of God hovering above? Atleast it is true... that man has no control even over his own will."

God, I love that series...

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:34 pm

In Iran and Saudi Arabia Islam is not just the "Official" religion, but a form of religious dictatorship that controls every aspect of human life.

That’s not what I meant by “official”. I should have said “main’ religion.
A country with an “Official: or “Main” religion however, does not mean that it doesn’t grant religious freedoms or the ability to choose, but rather expresses the “dominant” religion / beliefs, based on the number of people who practice it in each country.

In Greece for example, the church is not separated from the state & has very strong bonds with the political / social life & culture, which goes back all the way to the Byzantine Imperial period.
The “Official;”, “Main” or “Dominant” religion in Greece, is Greek Orthodox Christianity, as the majority of the people practice it one way or the other.
Even so, the Greek constitution grants complete religious freedom to all Greek citizens, Greek / or foreign.
The Modern Greek constitution also grants the most extreme form of democracy & freedom in the world. So much that people have a tendency to do what ever they want much too often.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:25 pm

Acid King wrote:the Hand of God

You forgot to *(TM)* it.

*(TM) by Diego Maradonna

ST Dragon wrote: The “Official;”, “Main” or “Dominant” religion in Greece, is Greek Orthodox Christianity, as the majority of the people practice it one way or the other.

What happened to ZEUS and his posse?

Minzoku · Post by **Minzoku** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:53 pm

Hey, good thing I saw this thread... maybe I should bug Kiken about visiting the place when we go to Japan next summer

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:49 pm

Super Laydock wrote:
What happened to ZEUS and his posse?

After they ran out of worshippers, they suddendly unemployed went to the USA to find a job. They were eventually hired by Marvel Comics as comicbook characters, along with many Norse gods.

P.S. I've heard that in Greece your ID personal document must contain your religion, other than civil status and other data. Is this true?

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:01 pm

Yes it is true.
The state wants to stop this, but the church is pushing back stating that it would be an act against god, tradition & some crap like that.

The church however, also owns the largest land-property, more than any other corporate/public entity in Greece.

When they were asked why they don’t give to the poor, they replied it is god’s will, so it is only rightful for them to own all that land.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 6:45 pm

ST Dragon wrote:Yes it is true.
The state wants to stop this, but the church is pushing back stating that it would be an act against god, tradition & some crap like that.

The church however, also owns the largest land-property, more than any other corporate/public entity in Greece.

When they were asked why they don’t give to the poor, they replied it is god’s will, so it is only rightful for them to own all that land.

You have my sympathy... Here's not much diffent, believe me

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:57 pm

Here's some advice for all of you if you plan to visit Ikaruga:

Watch for low-flying, polarity-switching aircraft.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:43 pm

Turrican wrote:After they ran out of worshippers, they suddendly unemployed went to the USA to find a job.

Heh heh, maybe we'll see them on the Capital One commercials next.

"We had a great time messing with the pitiful and meaningless lives of mortals. But now with so many people becoming soulless materialists via Capital One..." *switch to shot of Ares as a daycare center manager*

...along with many Norse gods.

If you can, get ahold of the book "Scandinavian Humor and Other Myths," which contains profiles of the NEW Norse Gods (since they moved to Minnesota).

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:11 pm

FatCobra wrote:Here's some advice for all of you if you plan to visit Ikaruga:

Watch for low-flying, polarity-switching aircraft.

Well, it could happen in your bed room too...
Beware of the new Ikaruga PS-3 flipping pads!

Randorama · Post by **Randorama** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:52 pm

Turrican wrote:
ST Dragon wrote:Yes it is true.
The state wants to stop this, but the church is pushing back stating that it would be an act against god, tradition & some crap like that.

The church however, also owns the largest land-property, more than any other corporate/public entity in Greece.

When they were asked why they don’t give to the poor, they replied it is god’s will, so it is only rightful for them to own all that land.

You have my sympathy... Here's not much diffent, believe me

We come from Vatican's outer zone, like my grandfather says

Minzoku · Post by **Minzoku** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:44 am

FatCobra wrote:Here's some advice for all of you if you plan to visit Ikaruga:

Watch for low-flying, polarity-switching aircraft.

...and take lots and lots of photos of them?

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:36 am

Randorama wrote:
Turrican wrote:
ST Dragon wrote:Yes it is true.
The state wants to stop this, but the church is pushing back stating that it would be an act against god, tradition & some crap like that.

The church however, also owns the largest land-property, more than any other corporate/public entity in Greece.

When they were asked why they don’t give to the poor, they replied it is god’s will, so it is only rightful for them to own all that land.

You have my sympathy... Here's not much diffent, believe me
We come from Vatican's outer zone, like my grandfather says

Heh, my family must be one of the few that still celebrate September XX

Randorama · Post by **Randorama** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 11:17 am

Turrican wrote:
Heh, my family must be one of the few that still celebrate September XX

I swear, typing while laughing is hard