Fall 2004

ANT 324L • Religion/Ritual in Japanese Society-W

Course Description

How do different practices and beliefs come together to form a total religious person in Japan? Under what circumstances do Japanese people participate in Shinto, Buddhist, and other religious practices? How are Japanese religious behaviors and beliefs expressed, experienced, and contested in Japanese society? These are some of the questions we will consider as we explore the meanings and practices associated with religious and ritual practice in Japan and how the study of these aspects of Japanese culture can help us in interpreting and understanding Japanese society more generally. We will focus on the role ritual plays in the daily life of Japanese, and the significance of isntitutional and lay religious organizations in Japanese society. The course places emphasis on ethnographic writings related to religion in Japan. Films and examples drawn from the instructor's fieldwork in Japan will supplement reading materials and lectures.

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