The Otaku Phenomenon : Pop Culture, Fandom, and Religiosity in Contemporary Japan
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University of Louisville ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository Electronic Theses and Dissertations 12-2017 The otaku phenomenon : pop culture, fandom, and religiosity in contemporary Japan. Kendra Nicole Sheehan University of Louisville Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd Part of the Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Japanese Studies Commons, and the Other Religion Commons Recommended Citation Sheehan, Kendra Nicole, "The otaku phenomenon : pop culture, fandom, and religiosity in contemporary Japan." (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2850. https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/2850 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has retained all other copyrights. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE OTAKU PHENOMENON: POP CULTURE, FANDOM, AND RELIGIOSITY IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN By Kendra Nicole Sheehan B.A., University of Louisville, 2010 M.A., University of Louisville, 2012 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Louisville in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities Department of Humanities University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky December 2017 Copyright 2017 by Kendra Nicole Sheehan All rights reserved THE OTAKU PHENOMENON: POP CULTURE, FANDOM, AND RELIGIOSITY IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN By Kendra Nicole Sheehan B.A., University of Louisville, 2010 M.A., University of Louisville, 2012 A Dissertation Approved on November 17, 2017 by the following Dissertation Committee: __________________________________ Dr. Patrick Pranke __________________________________ Dr. Natalie Polzer __________________________________ Dr. Steve Sohn ___________________________________ Dr. Michael Hagan ___________________________________ Dr. Delin La ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my “daughter,” Addison Sheehan and my loved ones who have always supported me in my endeavors. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As odd as this sounds, I would like to begin by giving thanks to the kami and powers that be for blessing me with all that I have experienced, learned, and gained in this process. Most importantly, I give thanks Dr. Patrick Pranke and Dr. Natalie Polzer for their guidance and abundance of patience. Thanks to committee members, Dr. Steve Sohn and Dr. Delin Lai, for their guidance provided to me in this endeavor. Dr. Mike Hagan also deserves special thanks for joining my committee and always lending an ear to an exasperated student. No words can do it justice, but love and eternal gratitude to my best friend, Stephanie, for her never-ending patience, support, and tolerance for my love of Japan and its culture. She pushed and cheered me on, especially when I was unsure of myself. Love and gratitude to Kazuko Probst, or Kaz-sensei, for her unknowingly pushing me to take my love of Japanese culture seriously as an academic pursuit. In addition, special thanks and consideration are given to Caitlynn Conn and Molly Phelps for being my own “idols” and telling me about Love Live! and all of its magnificence. To Yoko Martin and Chiaki Tamiya ―どうもありがとうございました。Much love and appreciation to Matt Hodge for arguing, debating, and helping me to edit my work. Finally, I would like to thank my countless other friends and family who have guided me, listened to me whine, cry, complain, and who gave me more support than anyone can deserve. iv ABSTRACT THE OTAKU PHENOMENON: POP CULTURE, FANDOM, AND RELIGIOSITY IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN Kendra Sheehan November 17, 2017 The focus of this dissertation centers on the otaku subculture and their subsequent incorporation of Japanese religious elements into their consumption of Japanese popular culture. This phenomenon highlights the intersections of popular culture and religion in Japan, which is emerging in religious sites. Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples are incorporating popular culture as a means to maintain relevancy, encourage growth of parishioners, and raising revenue by capitalizing on the popularity of manga and anime. The relevance of this research connects to the continued impact of Japanese popular culture. Through globalization, Japan leads as a soft power, ranking third among world economic powers. The heavily promoted concept of Cool Japan, by the government and businesses, is aligned with otaku interests, relating to anime, manga, and video games. The irony of Cool Japan is that the otaku are disregarded within Japanese society as undesirables. The first chapter provides a theoretical background examining this socio-religious phenomenon, and sociological framework, which considers the capitalist economy and relationship to religion. Chapter Two defines Shintō and kami, explains deification, outlines an historical overview for religion in Japan, providing historical antecedents for v the otaku’s relationship to religion and highlighting historical and cultural influences. This chapter provides a summary history of illustrated narrative, how it presages contemporary anime and manga, and its convergence with religion and popular culture. Chapter Three analyzes the historical and cultural contexts that form the otaku identity, traces the etymology of the word “otaku,” and positions the otaku within mainstream society. This chapter incorporates social psychology and identity theory to analyze and interpret how the otaku form identities, categorize, and define themselves. This analysis of otaku identity and mindset provides insight into the otaku’s consumptive behaviors associated with popular culture. Chapter Four analyzes the otaku’s consumptive practices and behaviors associated with anime and manga, and their impact on four Shintō shrines and two Buddhist temples. Chapter Four concludes with the emergence of “pop culture kami” that accentuate the otaku’s incorporation of Shintō elements into their consumption of popular culture. This convergence of otaku, religion, and popular culture points to emerging shifts within contemporary Japan. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................iv ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................1 I. Japan as a Soft Power ..........................................................................................3 II. Otaku Culture and Cool Japan ...........................................................................5 III. Outlines of the Chapters ....................................................................................7 IV. Summary .........................................................................................................13 CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AND APPLICATIONS OF THEORY...........................................................................................................................15 I. Main Theoretical Frameworks ..........................................................................17 1. Religious Influences in Shaping a Capitalist Society............................18 2. Pursuit of the Calling in Commodifying Japanese Culture ..................20 3. Creation of Specialist Groups in a Capitalist Society ...........................21 4. Asceticism .............................................................................................23 5. Weber and Charisma .............................................................................26 II. Social Construction of Religious Experience ...................................................30 III. Social Psychology and Identity Theory ..........................................................34 IV. Religion, Practices, and Pilgrimage ................................................................35 vii V. Other Points of Discussion ...............................................................................38 VI. Conclusion ......................................................................................................41 CHAPTER TWO: HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS OF RELIGION IN JAPANESE CULTURE ...................................................................................................44 I. Historical Roots of Manga ................................................................................45 1. Printing Press in Japan ..........................................................................47 2. Ukiyo-E and Coining a Term ................................................................48 3. Nineteenth Century Japan and the Creation of Manga Magazines .......50 4. Media as a Tool during the Rise of Fascism and Nationalism .............52 5. Manga and Anime in Postwar Japan .....................................................54 6. Manga for the Mature Reader................................................................56 7. Manga and Anime during and after the Bubble Economy of the