Japan's Religious Intolerance?

One would have imagined that an advanced and progressive country like Japan would have greater tolerance for religions. But not so, it seems.

According to Helen Hardacre in "After Aum: Religion and Civil Society in Japan" (The State of Civil Society in Japan, Frank J. Schwartz and Susan J. Pharr, 2003), Japanese religious organizations operate schools, museums, parks, and hospitals; home for orphans, the elderly, and the handicapped; rehabilitation facilities for the infirm and released prisoners, and a host of volunteer social services.

"But far from enjoying public trust, religion's position in Japanese society is vulnerable. Recent opinion polls show that only a minority of the population regards religious organizations as trustworthy, while a majority believe that there is no justification for continuing religions' tax privileges," Hardacre wrote.

Part of this distrust for religious organizations might have a lot to do with the aftermath of the Aum Shrinrikyo subway attacks using sarin gas in the 90s, as well as a whole host of other historical factors.