Religion in Contemporary Japan

by Ian Reader

What role does religion play in contemporary Japanese society and in the lives of Japanese people today? This text examines the major areas in which the Japanese participate in religious events, the role of religion in the social system and the underlying views within the Japanese religious world. Through a series of case studies of religion in action - at crowded temples and festivals, in austere Zen meditation halls, at home and at work, at dramatic fire rituals - it illustrates the immense variety, energy and colour inherent in Japanese religion. It also discusses the continued relevance and responses of religion in a rapidly modernizing and changing society.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, History, Religion, Japanese Literature, Academic

294 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Ian Reader is Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Manchester, UK.

Reviews

[Emily O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrical and research exploration of the shifts in Japanese religion up to the modern era, this book helped me understand the forms religiosity takes in Japan now and how these reflect traditional religious roots. I found the reciprocal relationships between human and kami particularly interesting, especially the implications that has for notions of ecological balance amidst the burgeoning environmental crisis. I was also intrigued by the interplay between Buddhism, Shinto, and other religions in Japan, which sparked beautiful religious sects and practices; esoteric religiosity, which manifests in sacred landscape, transcendence of text and intellect, and embodied practice; the forms in which religion has persisted in day-to-day life in a very urbanized Japan; and the pluralistic religious identities of most Japanese.

[Arend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative, if dated (written before the bubble burst in Japan in the 90s). Middle chapters are the best. Anthropological, not theological. Japan-centric to the point sometimes of Japanese exceptionalism; no comparisons at all with religion outside Japan. At times the western irony is jarring (calling Japanese religious practice “amusing” or “entertaining” is condescending). Academic writing style—loves long lists of nouns.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, this is one of the books that I'm reading for my Ghibli class (it's so much cooler [and shorter!] to say 'Ghibli class' than Hayao Miyazaki's World class). It's not one of the assigned readings, but it was very helpful for the first paper: Spirituality in Miyazaki's My Neighbour Totoro.

Now, although this book says "contemporary", it was published in 1991, meaning that it's probably written about the time My Neighbour Totoro was being made (the film came out in 1988). So I guess another title we can give it was "Religion in the time of My Neighbour Totoro".

This book is broken into eight chapters, covering not only the two 'main' religions - Shintoism and Buddhism, but also 'newer' religions like Agonshu, as well as the situations in which the Japanese turn to religious practices, as well as how they view religion.

One thing that I thought was interesting was that the author looked at how the Japanese seem to view religion differently from those in Western societies. He made the point that the word 宗教 (shukyou - religion) is a "derived word that came into prominence in the nineteenth century as a result of Japanese encounters with the West and particularly with Christian missionaries, to denote a concept and view of religion commonplace in the realms of nineteenth-century Christian theology but at that time not found in Japan, of religion as a specific, belief-framed entity."

What I understood from this is that all those people going "Japanese people are irreligious" are, to put it simply, using the wrong interpretation of 'religious'. It seems that Japan (and possibly Asia), sees religion differently. Of course, being Christian, I can't actually cite first-hand experience, but I went around asking my Buddhist friends, and it turns out that Vietnam, Indonesia and Japanese Buddhist seem to do things the same way. They go to the temple before events like exams, during occasions like Chinese New Year, etc.

Another, more relevant to Totoro aspect that caught my eye was the possibility of 宗教遊び (Shukyou Asobi) as a tradition in Japan. My teacher gave us a paper on Shukyou Asobi, which basically means the section where religion and entertainment merge. The book mentions that Japan has taken religious festivals such as O-bon and New Year's hatsumode and turned them into entertainment (or festivals). If so, it's interesting to wonder if the spiritual symbols in My Neighbour Totoro (IF there are any, because this is a film set in Japan, so we can't be sure that Miyazaki put in all these stuff on purpose), is merely a continuation of the shukyou asobi tradition.

So is this book going to prove that My Neighbour Totoro has a religious/spiritual agenda? No. No one's going to be able to prove that, because we are essentially imposing an interpretation on the film (I personally don't see the film as a spiritual experience in any way, let alone a religious one, but my teacher did assign the topic, so I just go with the flow). But, it is an interesting look at how religion was viewed in Japan some 20 odd years ago (this year being 2014, so all those looking at this a few years later, just add the numbers up).

This review was first posted at With love from Japan, Eustacia

[Matt Loten · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly readable and accessible exploration of religion and its relevance in modern-day (circa the late 1980s) Japan, by one of the foremost Western scholars of Japanese religious history. Approaching this book with little background knowledge of the subject, excepting what I had gleaned during my undergraduate degree in Japanese, I was impressed by Ian Reader's ability to make what could have been dry and esoteric (though in-depth) research and statistics come alive with vivid and entertaining anecdotes and personal observations.

Highly recommended for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the role of religion in the everyday lives of modern Japanese.

[August Wierling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Reader presents a good review of how religion is practised in Japan nowadays. The book covers Shinto and Buddhism as well as made new religion, which appeared in Japan during the last 100+ years. Many examples explain
the high degree of mixing ideas from different religious backgrounds, which we encountered so often in Japan.