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The Japanese Middle Ages were a period when secrecy dominated many
forms of religious practice. This fascinating collection traces the
secret characteristics and practices in Japanese religion, while
analyzing the rise and decline of religious esotericism in Japan.
Esoteric Buddhism developed in almost all Buddhist countries of
Asia, but it was of particular importance in Japan where its impact
went far beyond the borders of Buddhism, also affecting Shinto as
well as non-religious forms of discourse. During the Middle Ages,
secret initiations became a favored medium for the transmission of
knowledge among Buddhist monks, Shinto priests, scholars, actors
and artisans alike.
"The Culture of Secrecy in Japanese Religion" looks at the impact
of Esoteric Buddhism on Japanese culture, and includes comparative
chapters on India and China. Whilst concentrating on the Japanese
medieval period, this book will give readers familiar with present
day Japan many explanations for the still visible remnants of
Japan's medieval culture of secrecy. This compelling look at a
largely undiscovered field of research successfully demystifies the
study of esotericism and Tantrism, and will be essential reading
for scholars of East Asian Buddhism, Japanese religion and
religious history.
Sacred Heritage in Japan is the first volume to explicitly address
the topics of Japanese religion and heritage preservation in
connection with each other. The book examines what happens when
places of worship and ritual practices are rebranded as national
culture. It also considers the impact of being designated tangible
or intangible cultural properties and, more recently, as UNESCO
World or Intangible Heritage. Drawing on primary ethnographic and
historical research, the contributions to this volume show the
variety of ways in which different actors have contributed to,
negotiated, and at times resisted the transformation of religious
traditions into heritage. They analyse the conflicts that emerge
about questions of signification and authority during these
processes of transformation. The book provides important new
perspectives on the local implications of UNESCO listings in the
Japanese context and showcases the diversity of "sacred heritage"
in present-day Japan. Combining perspectives from heritage studies,
Japanese studies, religious studies, history, and social
anthropology, the volume will be of interest to scholars and
students who want to learn more about the diversity of local
responses to heritage conservation in non-Western societies. It
will also be of interest to scholars and students engaged in the
study of Japanese religion, society, or cultural policies.
The transformations Buddhism has been undergoing in the modern age
have inspired much research over the last decade. The main focus of
attention has been the phenomenon known as Buddhist modernism,
which is defined as a conscious attempt to adjust Buddhist
teachings and practices in conformity with the modern norms of
rationality, science, or gender equality. This book advances
research on Buddhist modernism by attempting to clarify the highly
diverse ways in which Buddhist faith, thought, and practice have
developed in the modern age, both in Buddhist heartlands in Asia
and in the West. It presents a collection of case studies that,
taken together, demonstrate how Buddhist traditions interact with
modern phenomena such as colonialism and militarism, the market
economy, global interconnectedness, the institutionalization of
gender equality, and recent historical events such as
de-industrialization and the socio-cultural crisis in post-Soviet
Buddhist areas. This volume shows how the (re)invention of
traditions constitutes an important pathway in the development of
Buddhist modernities and emphasizes the pluralistic diversity of
these forms in different settings.
The transformations Buddhism has been undergoing in the modern age
have inspired much research over the last decade. The main focus of
attention has been the phenomenon known as Buddhist modernism,
which is defined as a conscious attempt to adjust Buddhist
teachings and practices in conformity with the modern norms of
rationality, science, or gender equality. This book advances
research on Buddhist modernism by attempting to clarify the highly
diverse ways in which Buddhist faith, thought, and practice have
developed in the modern age, both in Buddhist heartlands in Asia
and in the West. It presents a collection of case studies that,
taken together, demonstrate how Buddhist traditions interact with
modern phenomena such as colonialism and militarism, the market
economy, global interconnectedness, the institutionalization of
gender equality, and recent historical events such as
de-industrialization and the socio-cultural crisis in post-Soviet
Buddhist areas. This volume shows how the (re)invention of
traditions constitutes an important pathway in the development of
Buddhist modernities and emphasizes the pluralistic diversity of
these forms in different settings.
This volume offers a multidisciplinary approach to the combinatory
tradition that dominated premodern and early modern Japanese
religion, known as honji suijaku (originals and their traces). It
questions received, simplified accounts of the interactions between
Shinto and Japanese Buddhism, and presents a more dynamic and
variegated religious world, one in which the deities' Buddhist
originals and local traces did not constitute one-to-one
associations, but complex combinations of multiple deities based on
semiotic operations, doctrines, myths, and legends. The book's
essays, all based on specific case studies, discuss the honji
suijaku paradigm from a number of different perspectives, always
integrating historical and doctrinal analysis with interpretive
insights.
The Japanese Middle Ages were a period when forms of secrecy
dominated religious practice. This fascinating collection traces
out the secret characteristics and practices in Japanese religion,
as well as analyzing the decline of religious esotericism in Japan.
The essays in this impressive work refer to Esoteric Buddhism as
the core of Japan's "culture of secrecy". Esoteric Buddhism
developed in almost all Buddhist countries of Asia, but it was of
particular importance in Japan where its impact went far beyond the
borders of Buddhism, also affecting Shinto as well as non-religious
forms of discourse. The contributors focus on the impact of
Esoteric Buddhism on Japanese culture, and also include comparative
chapters on India and China. Whilst concentrating on the Japanese
medieval period, this book will give readers familiar with present
day Japan, many explanations for the still visible remnants of
Japan's medieval culture of secrecy.
Shinto - A Short History provides an introductory outline of the historical development of Shinto from the ancient period of Japanese history until the present day. Shinto does not offer a readily identifiable set of teachings, rituals or beliefs; individual shrines and kami deities have led their own lives, not within the confines of a narrowly defined Shinto, but rather as participants in a religious field that included Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and folk elements. Thus, this book approaches Shinto as a series of historical 'religious systems' rather than attempting to identify a timeless 'Shinto essence'. This history focuses on three aspects of Shinto practice: the people involved in shrine worship, the institutional networks that ensured continuity, and teachings and rituals. By following the interplay between these aspects in different periods, a pattern of continuity and discontinuity is revealed that challenges received understandings of the history of Shinto. This book does not presuppose prior knowledge of Japanese religion, and is easily accessible for those new to the subject. eBook available with sample pages: 0203462882
"Shinto - A Short History "provides an introductory outline of the
historical development of Shinto from the ancient period of
Japanese history until the present day.
Shinto does not offer a readily identifiable set of teachings,
rituals or beliefs; individual shrines and kami deities have led
their own lives, not within the confines of a narrowly defined
Shinto, but rather as participants in a religious field that
included Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and folk elements. Thus, this
book approaches Shinto as a series of historical 'religious
systems' rather than attempting to identify a timeless 'Shinto
essence'.
This history focuses on three aspects of Shinto practice: the
people involved in shrine worship, the institutional networks that
ensured continuity, and teachings and rituals. By following the
interplay between these aspects in different periods, a pattern of
continuity and discontinuity is revealed that challenges received
understandings of the history of Shinto.
This book does not presuppose prior knowledge of Japanese religion,
and is easily accessible for those new to the subject.
This volume offers a multidisciplinary approach to the combinatory tradition that dominated premodern and early modern Japanese religion, known as honji suijaku (originals and their traces). It questions received, simplified accounts of the interactions between Shinto and Japanese Buddhism, and presents a more dynamic and variegated religious world, one in which the deities' Buddhist originals and local traces did not constitute one-to-one associations, but complex combinations of multiple deities based on semiotic operations, doctrines, myths, and legends. The book's essays, all based on specific case studies, discuss the honji suijaku paradigm from a number of different perspectives, always integrating historical and doctrinal analysis with interpretive insights. eBook available with sample pages: 0203220250
This is the only book to date offering a critical overview of
Shinto from early times to the modern era, and evaluating Shinto's
place in Japanese religious culture. In recent years, a few books
on medieval Shinto have appeared, but none has attempted to depict
the broader picture, to examine critically Shinto's origins and its
subsequent development through the medieval, pre-modern and modern
periods. The essays in this book address such key topics as Shinto
and Daoism in early Japan, Shinto and the natural environment,
Shinto and state ritual in early Japan, Shinto and Buddhism in
medieval Japan, and Shinto and the state in the modern period. All
of the essays highlight the dynamic nature of Shinto and shrine
history by focusing on the three-way relationship, often fraught,
between local shrine cults, Shinto agendas and Buddhism.
This critical overview of Shinto from early times to the modern era
evaluates Shinto's place in Japanese religious culture. In recent
years, a few books on mediaeval Shinto have appeared, but not has
attempted to depict the broader picture, to examine critically
Shinto's origins and its subsequent development through the
mediaeval, pre-modern and modern periods. The essays here address
such key topics as Shinto and Daoism in early Japan, Shinto and the
natural environment, Shinto and state ritual in early Japan, Shinto
and Buddhism in medieval Japan, and Shinto and the state in the
modern period. They highlight the dynamic nature of Shinto and
shrine history by focusing on the three-way relationship, often
fraught, between local shrine cults, Shinto agenda and Buddhism.
In 1829, three women and three men were paraded through Osaka and
crucified. Placards set up at the execution ground proclaimed their
crime: they were devotees of the "pernicious creed" of
Christianity. Middle-aged widows, the women made a living as
mediums, healers, and fortune-tellers. Two of the men dabbled in
divination; the third was a doctor who collected books in Chinese
on Western learning and Christianity. This was a startling
development. No one in Japan had been identified and punished as a
Christian for more than a century, and now, avowed devotees of the
proscribed sect had appeared in the very heart of the realm. Just
decades before the arrival of Perry's black ships and the fall of
the Tokugawa shogunate, the incident reignited fears of Christians
as evil sorcerers, plotting to undermine society and overthrow the
country. Christian Sorcerers on Trial offers annotated translations
of a range of sources on this sensational event, from the 1827
arrest of the alleged Christians through the case's afterlife. The
protagonists' testimonies relate with striking detail their life
histories, practices, and motivations. The record of deliberations
in Edo and communications between Osaka and Edo officials
illuminate the operation of the Tokugawa system of criminal
justice. Retellings of the incident show how the story was
transmitted and received. Translated and put in context by Fumiko
Miyazaki, Kate Wildman Nakai, and Mark Teeuwen, the sources provide
students and scholars alike with an extraordinarily rich picture of
late Edo social life, religious practices, and judicial procedures.
Sacred Heritage in Japan is the first volume to explicitly address
the topics of Japanese religion and heritage preservation in
connection with each other. The book examines what happens when
places of worship and ritual practices are rebranded as national
culture. It also considers the impact of being designated tangible
or intangible cultural properties and, more recently, as UNESCO
World or Intangible Heritage. Drawing on primary ethnographic and
historical research, the contributions to this volume show the
variety of ways in which different actors have contributed to,
negotiated, and at times resisted the transformation of religious
traditions into heritage. They analyse the conflicts that emerge
about questions of signification and authority during these
processes of transformation. The book provides important new
perspectives on the local implications of UNESCO listings in the
Japanese context and showcases the diversity of "sacred heritage"
in present-day Japan. Combining perspectives from heritage studies,
Japanese studies, religious studies, history, and social
anthropology, the volume will be of interest to scholars and
students who want to learn more about the diversity of local
responses to heritage conservation in non-Western societies. It
will also be of interest to scholars and students engaged in the
study of Japanese religion, society, or cultural policies.
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Lust, Commerce, and Corruption - An Account of What I Have Seen and Heard, by an Edo Samurai, Abridged Edition (Abridged, Paperback, abridged edition)
Mark Teeuwen, Kate Wildman Nakai; As told to Fumiko Miyazaki, Anne Walthall, John Breen
|
R1,195
Discovery Miles 11 950
|
Ships in 10 - 15 working days
|
By 1816, Japan had recovered from the famines of the 1780s and
moved beyond the political reforms of the 1790s. Despite persistent
economic and social stresses, the country seemed headed for a new
period of growth. The idea that the shogunate would not last
forever was far from anyone's mind. Yet, in that year, an anonymous
samurai produced a scathing critique of Edo society. Writing as
Buyo Inshi, "a retired gentleman of Edo," he expressed in An
Account of What I Have Seen and Heard a profound despair with the
state of the realm. Seeing decay wherever he turned, Buyo feared
the world would soon descend into war. In his anecdotes, Buyo shows
a sometimes surprising familiarity with the shadier aspects of Edo
life. He speaks of the corruption of samurai officials; the
suffering of the poor in villages and cities; the operation of
brothels; the dealings of blind moneylenders; the selling and
buying of temple abbotships; and the dubious strategies seen in law
courts. Perhaps it was the frankness of his account that made him
prefer to stay anonymous. A team of Edo specialists undertook the
original translation of Buyo's work. This abridged edition
streamlines this translation for classroom use, preserving the
scope and emphasis of Buyo's argument while eliminating repetitions
and diversions. It also retains the introductory essay that
situates the work within Edo society and history.
In 1829, three women and three men were paraded through Osaka and
crucified. Placards set up at the execution ground proclaimed their
crime: they were devotees of the "pernicious creed" of
Christianity. Middle-aged widows, the women made a living as
mediums, healers, and fortune-tellers. Two of the men dabbled in
divination; the third was a doctor who collected books in Chinese
on Western learning and Christianity. This was a startling
development. No one in Japan had been identified and punished as a
Christian for more than a century, and now, avowed devotees of the
proscribed sect had appeared in the very heart of the realm. Just
decades before the arrival of Perry's black ships and the fall of
the Tokugawa shogunate, the incident reignited fears of Christians
as evil sorcerers, plotting to undermine society and overthrow the
country. Christian Sorcerers on Trial offers annotated translations
of a range of sources on this sensational event, from the 1827
arrest of the alleged Christians through the case's afterlife. The
protagonists' testimonies relate with striking detail their life
histories, practices, and motivations. The record of deliberations
in Edo and communications between Osaka and Edo officials
illuminate the operation of the Tokugawa system of criminal
justice. Retellings of the incident show how the story was
transmitted and received. Translated and put in context by Fumiko
Miyazaki, Kate Wildman Nakai, and Mark Teeuwen, the sources provide
students and scholars alike with an extraordinarily rich picture of
late Edo social life, religious practices, and judicial procedures.
By 1816, Japan had recovered from the famines of the 1780s and
moved beyond the political reforms of the 1790s. Despite persistent
economic and social stresses, the country seemed to be approaching
a new period of growth. The idea that the shogunate would not last
forever was far from anyone's mind. Yet, in that year, an anonymous
samurai author completed one of the most detailed critiques of Edo
society known today. Writing as Buyo Inshi, "a retired gentleman of
Edo," he expresses a profound despair with the state of the realm
and with people's behavior and attitudes. He sees decay wherever he
turns and believes the world will soon descend into war. Buyo shows
a familiarity with many corners of Edo life that one might not
expect in a samurai. He describes the corruption of samurai
officials; the suffering of the poor in villages and cities; the
operation of brothels; the dealings of blind moneylenders; the
selling and buying of temple abbotships; and the dubious strategies
townspeople use in the law courts. Perhaps the frankness of his
account, which contains a wealth of concrete information about Edo
society, made him prefer to remain anonymous. This volume contains
a full translation of Buyo's often-quoted but rarely studied work
by a team of specialists on Edo society. Together with extensive
annotation of the translation, the volume includes an introduction
that situates the text culturally and historically.
The Ise shrine complex is among Japan's most enduring national
symbols, and A Social History of the Ise Shrines: Divine Capital is
the first book to trace the history of the shrines from their
beginnings in the seventh century until the present day. Ise
enshrines the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, the imperial ancestress and
the most prominent among kami deities, and has played a vital role
in Japan's social, political and religious history. The most
popular pilgrims' attraction in the land from the sixteenth century
onwards, in 2013 the Ise complex once again captured the nation's
attention as it underwent its periodic rebuilding, performed once
every twenty years. Mark Teeuwen and John Breen demonstrate that
the Ise Shrines underwent drastic re-inventions as a result of
on-going contestation between different groups of people in
different historical periods. They focus on the agents responsible
for these re-inventions, the nature of the economic, political and
ideological measures they took, and the specific techniques they
deployed to ensure that Ise survived one crisis after another in
the course of its long history. This book questions major
assumptions about Ise, notably the idea that Ise has always been
defined by its imperial connections, and that it has always been a
site of Shinto. Written by leading authorities in the field of
Shinto studies, this is the essential history of Japan's most
significant sacred site.
|
Lust, Commerce, and Corruption - An Account of What I Have Seen and Heard, by an Edo Samurai, Abridged Edition (Abridged, Hardcover, abridged edition)
Mark Teeuwen, Kate Wildman Nakai; As told to Fumiko Miyazaki, Anne Walthall
|
R2,622
R2,366
Discovery Miles 23 660
Save R256 (10%)
|
Ships in 12 - 17 working days
|
By 1816, Japan had recovered from the famines of the 1780s and
moved beyond the political reforms of the 1790s. Despite persistent
economic and social stresses, the country seemed headed for a new
period of growth. The idea that the shogunate would not last
forever was far from anyone's mind. Yet, in that year, an anonymous
samurai produced a scathing critique of Edo society. Writing as
Buyo Inshi, "a retired gentleman of Edo," he expressed in An
Account of What I Have Seen and Heard a profound despair with the
state of the realm. Seeing decay wherever he turned, Buyo feared
the world would soon descend into war. In his anecdotes, Buyo shows
a sometimes surprising familiarity with the shadier aspects of Edo
life. He speaks of the corruption of samurai officials; the
suffering of the poor in villages and cities; the operation of
brothels; the dealings of blind moneylenders; the selling and
buying of temple abbotships; and the dubious strategies seen in law
courts. Perhaps it was the frankness of his account that made him
prefer to stay anonymous. A team of Edo specialists undertook the
original translation of Buyo's work. This abridged edition
streamlines this translation for classroom use, preserving the
scope and emphasis of Buyo's argument while eliminating repetitions
and diversions. It also retains the introductory essay that
situates the work within Edo society and history.
This book focuses on the long history of what is arguably the most
prestigious and influential festival in Japan - Kyoto's Gion
festival. It explores this history from the festival's origins in
the late 10th century to its post-war revival, drawing on Japanese
historical studies and archival materials as well as the author's
participant observation fieldwork. Exploring the social and
political networks that have kept this festival alive for over a
millennium, this book reveals how it has endured multiple
reinventions. In particular, it identifies how at each historical
juncture, different groups have found new purposes for the festival
and adapted this costly enterprise to suit their own ends. The
history of this festival not only sheds light on the development of
Japanese festival culture as a whole, but also offers a window on
Kyoto's history and provides a testing ground for recent festival
theory.
The Ise shrine complex is among Japan's most enduring national
symbols, and A Social History of the Ise Shrines: Divine Capital is
the first book to trace the history of the shrines from their
beginnings in the seventh century until the present day. Ise
enshrines the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, the imperial ancestress and
the most prominent among kami deities, and has played a vital role
in Japan's social, political and religious history. The most
popular pilgrims' attraction in the land from the sixteenth century
onwards, in 2013 the Ise complex once again captured the nation's
attention as it underwent its periodic rebuilding, performed once
every twenty years. Mark Teeuwen and John Breen demonstrate that
the Ise Shrines underwent drastic re-inventions as a result of
on-going contestation between different groups of people in
different historical periods. They focus on the agents responsible
for these re-inventions, the nature of the economic, political and
ideological measures they took, and the specific techniques they
deployed to ensure that Ise survived one crisis after another in
the course of its long history. This book questions major
assumptions about Ise, notably the idea that Ise has always been
defined by its imperial connections, and that it has always been a
site of Shinto. Written by leading authorities in the field of
Shinto studies, this is the essential history of Japan's most
significant sacred site.
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