Why did Marco polo described the Japanese people as idolaters?

Answer 1

If you're not a Christian, ignore this argument, as the term "idolater" only applies to those who follow the Christian religion. This argument isn't pushing Christianity-- it's just explaining a point of view that might have been shared by Marco Polo.

I'm not sure about the context of the times, but Japanese people have superstition and folklore about everything that exists. They have a strange (as far as I, a Christian American, am concerned) fascination on a spiritual standpoint with everything from trees to fish to demons. There isn't anything that exists that Japanese don't have some supernatural derivative or portrayal of.

They seem to have a thing with death, demons, and spirits, and if you watch any of their anime, whether it be Dragon Ball, Bleach, or Sailor Moon, their strange fascination with dark beings shows. It's not that they worship them or see them as not evil per se, but most Christian people wouldn't feel comfortable even showing them in the style that Japanese do long enough to portray them as evil in the first place. For this reason, I personally feel dirty watching most Japanese shows. Sometimes I just want to enjoy my Dragon Ball Martial Arts, ki attacks, and good vs. tyrant plots, but even Dragon Ball has its fair share of showing sex, demons, and cults throughout, making me feel uncomfortable.

I highly doubt that Japanese have changed much over the centuries in the way they view supernaturality, so I think it would be fair to say that this is why Marco Polo called them idolaters. From a Christian standpoint, idolaters often don't have a single god and switch between hundreds of gods at the drop of a hat. They are also often not what Americans would consider "gods". They pray to or hope for fortune from everything from fish to dirt to stars. And in my opinion, this is what traditional Japanese spirituality is like, unless of course you're Buddhist...