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Recent Trends in the Geography of Religion in Japan MATSUI Keisuke

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Recent Trends in the Geography of Religion in Japan MATSUI Keisuke Geographical Review of Japan Vol. 81, No. 5, 311-322, 2008 Recent Trends in the Geography of Religion in Japan MATSUI Keisuke Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan Abstract: This study examines the recent trends in the geography of religion by Japanese ge- ographers since the 1990s. The geographers of religion in Japan mainly analyze and interpret the distribution or diffusion of religious phenomena including religious experience or practice , spa- tial structure of religion, and religious landscape. I was able to summarize the studies in this field into the following four types. The studies of the first type focus on how certain religions have been practiced in urban or rural areas. The studies of the second type examine the influences, roles and changes of religions in urban and rural communities and their landscape. The studies of the third category encompass achievements of religious ecology and relationship between re- ligions and natural environment. The forth type of studies are historical geography of pilgrimage which have revealed socioeconomic network produced by religion. Three directions of future studies are suggested. First, the geography of religion should contribute more to the elucidation of the religion. Second, achievements of this study field are requested to correspond to the reli- gious situations of contemporary Japan. Third, studies taking the religious characteristics of Japan into consideration are needed. Key words: geography of religion, religious landscape, religious ecology, pilgrimage ies. For instance, Inoue (2002) comments ironi- Introduction cally "There is a field called the geography of re- ligion, which has few researchers in Japan." We can say that the simple definition of the ge- Ishida (1989) also gives a negative evaluation in ography of religion is to clarify some spatial char- his review paper, "... geography of religion is the acteristics of religion. If we consider a religious subfield of religious studies which aims to clar- phenomenon to be a part of culture created by ify the correlation of religion and natural envi- human beings, the geography of religion can be ronment." Ishida (1989) also states that the ge- classified as a branch of cultural geography. How- ography of religion had complemented other ever, if the religious phenomenon has also polit- religious studies, and said "An understanding of ical, economic, social and psychological aspects, religion will turn more positive by clarifying the we cannot limit it to the framework of cultural relation between natural conditions and religion." geography. Researchers of religion seemed to have consid- On the other hand, the geography of religion ered that the geographical features are not an exists as a subfield of religious studies. Inoue essential element for a religious phenomenon. (2002) has classified religious studies into the Therefore, the geography of religion is positioned following two types. One argues about religious as an auxiliary study of religious studies. essence; the philosophy and phenomenology of There have been many publications in recent religion are classified into this type. The other is years by Japanese geographers. In my previous based on an actual phenomenon; the history of papers on the geography of religion in Japan religion, psychology of religion and sociology of (Matsui 1993: 2003), I classified studies of this religion are included in this. The geography of field into the following four: 1) climate and nat- religion should be classified into the latter. How- ural environment, 2) cultural landscape and re- ever, the geography of religion has been consid- ligion, 3) pilgrimage, and 4) the distribution / dif- ered relatively less important in religious stud- fusion and spatial structure of religion. Although -311- 66 MATSUI K. I think this framework is fundamentally effective, study was conducted by using historical geogra- as also indicated by Oda (2002), the time to re- phy methods, Mori (2005a) approached the examine a new framework is approaching. Thus, Shikoku pilgrimage from the viewpoint of cul- the purpose of this paper is to describe the tural geography. He argued that the Shikoku pil- trends of geographical studies on religion by grimage was reconstructed in the hundred years Japanese geographers after the 1990s and to since the Meiji Restoration. We can say that his comment on the future prospects of the geogra- book reflected upon the Shikoku pilgrimage, a phy of religion during the next 10 years. cultural phenomenon, from the position of a so- cial constructionist. Current Topics of the Geography Reflecting this trend, the "Historical Geogra- of Religion in Japan phy of Religious Culture" was argued as a topic in the Annual Conference of the Association of In describing publications that have appeared Historical Geographers in Japan held in 2003 and in print during the past 10 years, I would like to 2004. The result of the discussions was published introduce four books. In terms of writings that in the journal of "The Historical Geography", deal with the place of public worship, there are which contains five articles on pilgrimage organ- two notable books; the "Zonal Structure of Dewa ization (Ise-ko) in the community, worship catch- Mountains" by Iwahana, M. and "Religious Space ment areas of religions, pictorial maps, feng shui, in Japan" by Matsui, K. Iwahana (2003) compiles and cemeteries. Thus the theme of geographical his previous researches of the Dewa Mountain study on religion is increasing, especially in the faith into a book. He showed that the catchment field of historical geography. area of Dewa Mountain faith consists of a three- We can consider that these topics are the typ- concentric-circle structure. The inner most area, ical subject of this field among contemporary called a sacred area, is surrounding the top of Japanese geographers. The growth of literature the mountains. The next area, called a semi- sa- is also remarkable in terms of the increasing cred area, is located around the first one. The number of review papers. Although Taima (1961) outer area is the residential area of the believ- and Matsui (1993) appeared before 1995, many ers. He demonstrated that the characteristics of excellent review papers have been published in each area are based on abundant folklore data. recent years. Matsui (2003) tried to clarify the regional dif- Oda (1999a, 2002) are examples of review pa- ference in the mode of people's belief in the pop- pers. Oda (2002) reviewed the studies on the ular religion instead of mountainous religion, geography of religion by using a "Bibliography in which has been thoroughly studied. While moun- Geography" edited by the Human Geographical tainous religion has a distinct spatial structure, Society of Japan as data. He indicated the re- popular religion like Inari faith and thunder faith search trend of the geography of religion in that Matsui investigated is not clear in the work Japan after World War II. Oda (2002) pointed out of propagators. Thus it is difficult to point out the following seven subjects of research, 1) reli- the characteristics of the worship catchment gious cities/settlement, 2) pilgrimages, 3) grave area for them. systems, 4) religious distribution/catchment area There are two important books in the field of of religion, 5) organization of religion in urban pilgrimage studies; "Pilgrims and routes around and rural areas, 6) pictorial maps depicting sa- sacred place" by Tanaka, T. and "Modern times cred phenomena, and 7) mountain sanctuaries. of the Shikoku pilgrimage" by Mori, M. Tanaka He showed that research is increasing in the fol- (2004) was published posthumously. His works lowing fields: pilgrimages, grave systems, reli- have two features; the decisions involved in cre- gious distribution/catchment area of religion, pic- ating pilgrimage routes, and the detailed de- torial maps depicting sacred phenomena, and scriptions of the actual mode of pilgrimage using mountain sanctuaries. Moreover, Hisatake (2000) the travelers' journals (diaries). In particular, his has mentioned cosmology, ethnicity and the rep- important literatures of the Saikoku pilgrimage resentation of culture as a new trend of cultural are included in this book. Whereas Tanaka's geography in Japan. There have been several -312- Recent Trends in the Geography of Religion 67 publications related to Oda's themes above. In by producing lumber for Edo at that time. There- terms of pilgrimages, Iwahana (2000) described fore Mt. Mitsumine functioned as a tutelary the history of research on pre-modern trips, and mountain (Chinju) in that region. Miki assumed discussed the pilgrimage to sacred places from that the development and acceptance of the as- the viewpoint of the exchange between the sociation of Mt. Mitsumine can be explained by sacred and the profane. Kaneko (1995) demon- the progress of manufacturing and the circula- strated that there was a research trend of moun- tion of lumber in that region. Miki (1998) con- tain religions from the viewpoint of their catch- sidered the relationship between existent reli- ment areas. Matsui (1998) has also examined the gious groups and other reasons above. He also catchment area of various beliefs. In terms of dealt with the association of Mt. Mitsumine in pictorial maps depicting sacred phenomena, Iwa- terms of faith, which was accepted by people in hana (1997) reviewed the studies of mandala the region. pictures of Mt. Tateyama, one of the sacred Focusing on the acceptance of faith in neigh- mountains in the Chubu Area. Based on these borhood areas, I should mention the contribution achievements, I classified a research trend in this of a series of papers by Funasugi (1994, 1997). field into four themes, including 1) distribu- Funasugi (1997) examined the regional penetra- tion/diffusion of religion and its spatial structure, tion of the Ise faith in Echigo during the Era of 2) cultural landscape and social groups, 3) reli- Sengoku (Provincial Wars).
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