Feudal Japanese samurai, like many people in pre-modern Japan, were influenced by a mix of religious beliefs and practices, including Shintoism and Buddhism. Shinto, Japan’s indigenous spirituality, is polytheistic, featuring a pantheon of gods and spirits known as kami, which are believed to inhabit natural features such as mountains, trees, rivers, and rocks, as well as ancestors and historical figures. Buddhism, which was introduced to Japan in the 6th century, brought with it a complex array of deities, bodhisattvas, and other spiritual beings.

Samurai, being a part of the Japanese social fabric, would have participated in these religious traditions. They might have prayed to certain kami for success in battle, protection, and good fortune, or followed Buddhist practices seeking spiritual enlightenment, strength, or solace. It was not uncommon for samurai to turn to Buddhism later in life, seeking peace and atonement for the lives they had taken in battle.

Moreover, the warrior ethos of the samurai was influenced by Zen Buddhism from the Kamakura period onwards. Zen’s emphasis on meditation, discipline, and the immediate reality of the present moment resonated with the samurai’s martial values, helping them to face battle and death with calmness and composure.

In addition to Shinto and Buddhism, elements of Confucianism also influenced samurai culture, particularly in terms of ethics and duty. While not a religion but a philosophical system, Confucianism’s emphasis on loyalty, respect for hierarchy, and filial piety were integral to the samurai’s code of conduct, or bushido.

Thus, while the samurai’s belief in gods would have been shaped by the wider religious context of Japan, their spirituality was also deeply personal, blending aspects of Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucian philosophy to form a worldview that supported their way of life and duties as warriors.