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Zusatztext This is a fascinating collection of perspectives on the place of ‘spirit’ in modern and contemporary Japan, produced by some of the top scholars in the field. It offers a balance of breadth and nuance that guarantees something of interest for specialists and non-specialists alike. We come away with a vivid, unforgettable sense of how spirit pervades Japanese life - bringing meaning and energy to such diverse areas of life as family, relationships, war, commerce, art, memory, the environment, and people’s sense of hope or dread about the future. A real treat. Informationen zum Autor Fabio Rambelli, Professor of Japanese Religions and Cultural History and ISF Endowed Chair in Shinto Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA Vorwort Explores the nature of spirits and other intangible entities in modern and contemporary Japanese culture. Zusammenfassung This book draws attention to a striking aspect of contemporary Japanese culture: the prevalence of discussions and representations of “spirits” ( tama or tamashii ). Ancestor cults have played a central role in Japanese culture and religion for many centuries; in recent decades, however, other phenomena have expanded and diversified the realm of Japanese animism. For example, many manga, anime, TV shows, literature, and art works deal with spirits, ghosts, or with an invisible dimension of reality. International contributors ask to what extent these are cultural forms created by the media for consumption, rather than manifestations of “traditional” ancestral spirituality in their adaptations to contemporary society. Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan considers the modes of representations and the possible cultural meanings of spirits, as well as the metaphysical implications of contemporary Japanese ideas about spirits. The chapters offer analyses of specific cases of “animistic attitudes” in which the presence of spirits and spiritual forces is alleged, and attempt to trace cultural genealogies of those attitudes. In particular, they present various modes of representation of spirits (in contemporary art, architecture, visual culture, cinema, literature, diffuse spirituality) while at the same time addressing their underlying intellectual and religious assumptions. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Figures List of Contributors Introduction: The Invisible Empire: Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan, Fabio Rambelli (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA)1. The Dead Who Remain: Spirits and Changing Views of the Afterlife, Sato Hiroo (Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan) translation by Emily B. Simpson (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA)2. The Mystical “Occident” or the Vibrations of “Modernity” in the Mirror of Japanese Thought , Jason A. Josephson-Storm (Williams College, USA)3. A Metaphysics of the Invisible Realm: Minakata Kumagusu on Spirits, Molds, and the Cosmic Mandala , Fabio Rambelli (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA)4. New Religious Movements, the Media, and “Japanese Animism”, Ioannis Gaitanidis (Chiba University, Japan)5. Animated City: Life Force, Guardians, and Contemporary Architecture in Kyoto , Ellen Van Goethem (Kyushu University, Japan)6. Essays in Vagueness: Aspects of Diffused Religiosity in Japan , Carina Roth (University of Geneva, Switzerland)7. Came Back Hounded: A Spectrum of Experiences with Spirits and Inugami Possession in Contemporary Japan , Andrea De Antoni (Ritsumeikan University, Japan)8. The Spirit(s) of Modern Japanese Fiction , Rebecca Suter (University of Sydney, Australia)9. Techno-Animism: Japanese Media Artists and their Buddhist and Shinto Legacy , Mauro Arrighi (Independent Scholar, Japan)10. Spirit/Medium Critically Examining the Relationship between Animism and Anim...
