Part 1: SHINTO
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JAPAN's MOST UNFORGETTABLE SHRINES Relaxing Is One Thing
JAPAN’S MOST UNFORGETTABLE SHRINES Relaxing is one thing, but to feel at peace, you need to step away from the neon signs and busy streets and explore the spiritual side of Japan. Shrines are an integral part of Japanese cultural tapestry. You will find these places of worship hidden in forest sandwiched between office towers on busy streets or clinging into mountain tops visiting them can be a spiritual experience, a chance to gain insights into Japanese tradition and history, or simply enjoy serene escape from the busy city life. Shrines are considered to be the residences of Kami (Shinto gods) and are used as places of worship. The names of Shinto shrines in Japan can end in –jinja, jingu (for Imperial shrines), or taisha. Shrines are built to serve the Shinto religious tradition and are characterized by a Torii gate at the entrance decorated with vermillion, and are guarded by fox, dog, or other animal statues. The architecture of a shrine typically includes a main sanctuary (honden), where the shrine’s sacred object is kept, and a worship hall (haiden), where people make prayers and offerings. Some shrines may have treasury buildings and stages for dance or theatre performances. There are close to 80,000 Shinto shrines in Japan and are of several different categories like: • Sengen shrines- dedicated to the Shinto deity of Mt. Fuji • Hachiman shrines- dedicated to the Kami of war • Inari shrines- dedicated to the Kami of huge harvest of grains • Kumano shrines - dedicated to the twelve Kami, three Grand Shrines in the three Kumano mountains • Tenjin shrines- dedicated to the Kami of Sugawara No Michizane, a politician and scholar FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社, Fushimi Inari Taisha) is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. -
The Otaku Phenomenon : Pop Culture, Fandom, and Religiosity in Contemporary Japan
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. -
UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Producing Place, Tradition and the Gods: Mt. Togakushi, Thirteenth through Mid-Nineteenth Centuries Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/90w6w5wz Author Carter, Caleb Swift Publication Date 2014 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Producing Place, Tradition and the Gods: Mt. Togakushi, Thirteenth through Mid-Nineteenth Centuries A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures by Caleb Swift Carter 2014 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Producing Place, Tradition and the Gods: Mt. Togakushi, Thirteenth through Mid-Nineteenth Centuries by Caleb Swift Carter Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures University of California, Los Angeles, 2014 Professor William M. Bodiford, Chair This dissertation considers two intersecting aspects of premodern Japanese religions: the development of mountain-based religious systems and the formation of numinous sites. The first aspect focuses in particular on the historical emergence of a mountain religious school in Japan known as Shugendō. While previous scholarship often categorizes Shugendō as a form of folk religion, this designation tends to situate the school in overly broad terms that neglect its historical and regional stages of formation. In contrast, this project examines Shugendō through the investigation of a single site. Through a close reading of textual, epigraphical, and visual sources from Mt. Togakushi (in present-day Nagano Ken), I trace the development of Shugendō and other religious trends from roughly the thirteenth through mid-nineteenth centuries. This study further differs from previous research insofar as it analyzes Shugendō as a concrete system of practices, doctrines, members, institutions, and identities. -
Inland Sea of Ja An
Ancient traditions of the Inland Sea of Ja an Kyoto ◆ Hiroshima ◆ Miyajima ◆ Matsue ◆ Himeji ◆ Osaka A voyage aboard the Exclusively Chartered Small Ship Five-Star M.S. L’AUSTRAL April 30 to May 10, 2017 Dear Bryn Mawr Alumnae/i and Friends, Konnichiwa! Experience the timeless splendor of Japan and South Korea by sea and on land, the best way to see the richness of this beautiful region. During this custom-designed nine-night itinerary enjoy two nights on land and seven nights cruising while you explore enthralling ports steeped in the traditions of ancient Buddhist shoguns and Samurai warriors, and admire landscapes dotted with Shinto shrines, imperial castles and meticulous Japanese gardens. Spend two nights in the enchanting city of Kyoto, its serene landscape brimming with fragrant cherry blossom trees. It was the imperial capital of Japan from A.D. 794 until the mid-19th century and has been the cultural capital of this island nation for more than 1000 years. See its historic UNESCO World Heritage-designated monuments, visit the opulent temples of Ry ¯oan-ji and Kinkaku-ji, the imperial Nij ¯o Castle and stroll through the iconic red-orange torii gates and temple grounds of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. On board the exclusively chartered, Five-Star small ship M.S. L’AUSTRAL, featuring only 110 ocean-view Suites and Staterooms, cruise for seven nights from Himeji, Japan, along the coast of the tranquil Inland Sea and South Korea, and visit captivating port calls that showcase fi ve UNESCO World Heritage sites. See the impressive 14th-century Himeji Castle complex, the oldest surviving feudal structure of medieval Japan; walk through the poignant Peace Memorial Park and Museum in Hiroshima following President Obama’s recent historic visit; and tour picturesque Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima with its awe-inspiring Great Torii Gate. -
Through the Case of Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
The Japanese and Okinawan American Communities and Shintoism in Hawaii: Through the Case of Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʽI AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN AMERICAN STUDIES MAY 2012 By Sawako Kinjo Thesis Committee: Dennis M. Ogawa, Chairperson Katsunori Yamazato Akemi Kikumura Yano Keywords: Japanese American Community, Shintoism in Hawaii, Izumo Taishayo Mission of Hawaii To My Parents, Sonoe and Yoshihiro Kinjo, and My Family in Okinawa and in Hawaii Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my committee chair, Professor Dennis M. Ogawa, whose guidance, patience, motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge have provided a good basis for the present thesis. I also attribute the completion of my master’s thesis to his encouragement and understanding and without his thoughtful support, this thesis would not have been accomplished or written. I also wish to express my warm and cordial thanks to my committee members, Professor Katsunori Yamazato, an affiliate faculty from the University of the Ryukyus, and Dr. Akemi Kikumura Yano, an affiliate faculty and President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Japanese American National Museum, for their encouragement, helpful reference, and insightful comments and questions. My sincere thanks also goes to the interviewees, Richard T. Miyao, Robert Nakasone, Vince A. Morikawa, Daniel Chinen, Joseph Peters, and Jikai Yamazato, for kindly offering me opportunities to interview with them. It is a pleasure to thank those who made this thesis possible. -
Representations of Pleasure and Worship in Sankei Mandara Talia J
Mapping Sacred Spaces: Representations of Pleasure and Worship in Sankei mandara Talia J. Andrei Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Columbia University 2016 © 2016 Talia J.Andrei All rights reserved Abstract Mapping Sacred Spaces: Representations of Pleasure and Worship in Sankei Mandara Talia J. Andrei This dissertation examines the historical and artistic circumstances behind the emergence in late medieval Japan of a short-lived genre of painting referred to as sankei mandara (pilgrimage mandalas). The paintings are large-scale topographical depictions of sacred sites and served as promotional material for temples and shrines in need of financial support to encourage pilgrimage, offering travelers worldly and spiritual benefits while inspiring them to donate liberally. Itinerant monks and nuns used the mandara in recitation performances (etoki) to lead audiences on virtual pilgrimages, decoding the pictorial clues and touting the benefits of the site shown. Addressing themselves to the newly risen commoner class following the collapse of the aristocratic order, sankei mandara depict commoners in the role of patron and pilgrim, the first instance of them being portrayed this way, alongside warriors and aristocrats as they make their way to the sites, enjoying the local delights, and worship on the sacred grounds. Together with the novel subject material, a new artistic language was created— schematic, colorful and bold. We begin by locating sankei mandara’s artistic roots and influences and then proceed to investigate the individual mandara devoted to three sacred sites: Mt. Fuji, Kiyomizudera and Ise Shrine (a sacred mountain, temple and shrine, respectively). -
University of Nevada, Reno American Shinto Community of Practice
University of Nevada, Reno American Shinto Community of Practice: Community formation outside original context A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology By Craig E. Rodrigue Jr. Dr. Erin E. Stiles/Thesis Advisor May, 2017 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by CRAIG E. RODRIGUE JR. Entitled American Shinto Community Of Practice: Community Formation Outside Original Context be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Erin E. Stiles, Advisor Jenanne K. Ferguson, Committee Member Meredith Oda, Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School May, 2017 i Abstract Shinto is a native Japanese religion with a history that goes back thousands of years. Because of its close ties to Japanese culture, and Shinto’s strong emphasis on place in its practice, it does not seem to be the kind of religion that would migrate to other areas of the world and convert new practitioners. However, not only are there examples of Shinto being practiced outside of Japan, the people doing the practice are not always of Japanese heritage. The Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America is one of the only fully functional Shinto shrines in the United States and is run by the first non-Japanese Shinto priest. This thesis looks at the community of practice that surrounds this American shrine and examines how membership is negotiated through action. There are three main practices that form the larger community: language use, rituals, and Aikido. Through participation in these activities members engage with an American Shinto community of practice. -
Childbearing in Japanese Society: Traditional Beliefs and Contemporary Practices
Childbearing in Japanese Society: Traditional Beliefs and Contemporary Practices by Gunnella Thorgeirsdottir A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sheffield Faculty of Social Sciences School of East Asian Studies August 2014 ii iii iv Abstract In recent years there has been an oft-held assumption as to the decline of traditions as well as folk belief amidst the technological modern age. The current thesis seeks to bring to light the various rituals, traditions and beliefs surrounding pregnancy in Japanese society, arguing that, although changed, they are still very much alive and a large part of the pregnancy experience. Current perception and ideas were gathered through a series of in depth interviews with 31 Japanese females of varying ages and socio-cultural backgrounds. These current perceptions were then compared to and contrasted with historical data of a folkloristic nature, seeking to highlight developments and seek out continuities. This was done within the theoretical framework of the liminal nature of that which is betwixt and between as set forth by Victor Turner, as well as theories set forth by Mary Douglas and her ideas of the polluting element of the liminal. It quickly became obvious that the beliefs were still strong having though developed from a person-to- person communication and into a set of knowledge aquired by the mother largely from books, magazines and or offline. v vi Acknowledgements This thesis would never have been written had it not been for the endless assistance, patience and good will of a good number of people. -
The Moon Bear As a Symbol of Yama Its Significance in the Folklore of Upland Hunting in Japan
Catherine Knight Independent Scholar The Moon Bear as a Symbol of Yama Its Significance in the Folklore of Upland Hunting in Japan The Asiatic black bear, or “moon bear,” has inhabited Japan since pre- historic times, and is the largest animal to have roamed Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū since mega-fauna became extinct on the Japanese archipelago after the last glacial period. Even so, it features only rarely in the folklore, literature, and arts of Japan’s mainstream culture. Its relative invisibility in the dominant lowland agrarian-based culture of Japan contrasts markedly with its cultural significance in many upland regions where subsistence lifestyles based on hunting, gathering, and beliefs centered on the mountain deity (yama no kami) have persisted until recently. This article explores the significance of the bear in the upland regions of Japan, particularly as it is manifested in the folklore of communities centered on hunting, such as those of the matagi, and attempts to explain why the bear, and folklore focused on the bear, is largely ignored in mainstream Japanese culture. keywords: Tsukinowaguma—moon bear—matagi hunters—yama no kami—upland communities—folklore Asian Ethnology Volume 67, Number 1 • 2008, 79–101 © Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture nimals are common motifs in Japanese folklore and folk religion. Of the Amammals, there is a wealth of folklore concerning the fox, raccoon dog (tanuki), and wolf, for example. The fox is regarded as sacred, and is inextricably associated with inari, originally one of the deities of cereals and a central deity in Japanese folk religion. It has therefore become closely connected with rice agri- culture and thus is an animal symbol central to Japan’s agrarian culture. -
The Making of an American Shinto Community
THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN SHINTO COMMUNITY By SARAH SPAID ISHIDA A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2008 1 © 2007 Sarah Spaid Ishida 2 To my brother, Travis 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people assisted in the production of this project. I would like to express my thanks to the many wonderful professors who I have learned from both at Wittenberg University and at the University of Florida, specifically the members of my thesis committee, Dr. Mario Poceski and Dr. Jason Neelis. For their time, advice and assistance, I would like to thank Dr. Travis Smith, Dr. Manuel Vásquez, Eleanor Finnegan, and Phillip Green. I would also like to thank Annie Newman for her continued help and efforts, David Hickey who assisted me in my research, and Paul Gomes III of the University of Hawai’i for volunteering his research to me. Additionally I want to thank all of my friends at the University of Florida and my husband, Kyohei, for their companionship, understanding, and late-night counseling. Lastly and most importantly, I would like to extend a sincere thanks to the Shinto community of the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America and Reverend Koichi Barrish. Without them, this would not have been possible. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................7 -
A POPULAR DICTIONARY of Shinto
A POPULAR DICTIONARY OF Shinto A POPULAR DICTIONARY OF Shinto BRIAN BOCKING Curzon First published by Curzon Press 15 The Quadrant, Richmond Surrey, TW9 1BP This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/.” Copyright © 1995 by Brian Bocking Revised edition 1997 Cover photograph by Sharon Hoogstraten Cover design by Kim Bartko All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0-203-98627-X Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-7007-1051-5 (Print Edition) To Shelagh INTRODUCTION How to use this dictionary A Popular Dictionary of Shintō lists in alphabetical order more than a thousand terms relating to Shintō. Almost all are Japanese terms. The dictionary can be used in the ordinary way if the Shintō term you want to look up is already in Japanese (e.g. kami rather than ‘deity’) and has a main entry in the dictionary. If, as is very likely, the concept or word you want is in English such as ‘pollution’, ‘children’, ‘shrine’, etc., or perhaps a place-name like ‘Kyōto’ or ‘Akita’ which does not have a main entry, then consult the comprehensive Thematic Index of English and Japanese terms at the end of the Dictionary first. -
To Those Who Would Visit Kunisaki-Usa in the Future Foreword
Foreword To Those Who Would Visit Kunisaki-Usa in the Future The Kunisaki Peninsula and Usa region in Oita Prefecture in eastern Kyushu has If you are planning a trip to Oita Prefecture, why not add Usa and the Kunisaki been a crossroads connecting mainland China, the Korean Peninsula, and the polit- Peninsula to your itinerary? It is only a little further north than Beppu, the prefec- ical, economic, and cultural center of Japan in the capital since ancient times. Hav- ture’s famous hot spring town. ing been seeded by various cultural influences, the area is considered the birthplace Usa is bordered by calm ocean waters. In one corner of a large plain lies Usa Jingu of the syncretization of Shinto and Buddhism, which occurred following the estab- Shrine, a large Shinto shrine dedicated to Hachiman, Japan’s most famous deity. lishment of Usa Jingu Shrine. Buddhist culture in the region, which was deeply More than 1,300 years old, the shrine is surrounded by a majestic, sacred forest. affected by the syncretization of the two religions over its long history, is known as To the east of Usa, the round-shaped Kunisaki Peninsula juts out into the ocean. Rokugo-manzan culture. Countless years of erosion have shaped its mountains into groups of enormous Tradition holds that many of the temples in the region were founded by monk and oddly shaped rocks, and clear-flowing rivers course from headwaters deep in Ninmon in 718. The year 2018, which marked the 1,300th anniversary of those the mountains toward the sea, nourishing the plain as they go.