This book, based on extensive original research, explores the various ways in which Japanese people think about death and how they approach the process of dying and death. It shows how new forms of funeral ceremonies have been developed by the funeral industry, how traditional grave burial is being replaced in some cases by the scattering of ashes and forest mortuary ritual, and how Japanese thinking on relationships, the value of life, and the afterlife are changing. Throughout, it assesses how these changes reflect changing social structures and social values.
This book, based on extensive original research, explores the various ways in which Japanese people think about death and how they approach the pro...
Disability and chronic illness represents a special kind of cultural diversity, the "other" to "normal" able-bodiedness. Most studies of disability consider disability in North American or European contexts; and studies of diversity in Japan consider ethnic and cultural diversity, but not the differences arising from disability. This book therefore breaks new ground, both for scholars of disability studies and for Japanese studies scholars. It charts the history and nature of disability in Japan, discusses policy and law relating to disability, examines caregiving and accessibility, and...
Disability and chronic illness represents a special kind of cultural diversity, the "other" to "normal" able-bodiedness. Most studies of disability...
This book looks at the ascetic practices in Japan in an inter-sectarian and inter-doctrinal fashion, in order to disclose the underlying theme (or set of themes) informing specific manifestations of asceticism. It develops such themes by employing a multidisciplinary methodology, which integrates participant fieldwork with a hermeneutical interpretation of the body as the primary locus of transmission of the ascetic embodied tradition . By unlocking this bodily data, the book manages to unveil the human body as the main tool and text of ascetic practice.
This book looks at the ascetic practices in Japan in an inter-sectarian and inter-doctrinal fashion, in order to disclose the underlying theme (or ...
Tree burial, a new form of disposal for the cremated remains of the dead, was created in 1999 by Chisaka Genpo, the head priest of a Zen Buddhist temple in northern Japan. Instead of a conventional family gravestone, perpetuating the continuity of a household and its identity, tree burial uses vast woodlands as cemeteries, with each burial spot marked by a tree and a small wooden tablet inscribed with the name of the deceased. Tree burial is gaining popularity, and is a highly-effective means of promoting the rehabilitation of Japanese forestland critically damaged by post-war government...
Tree burial, a new form of disposal for the cremated remains of the dead, was created in 1999 by Chisaka Genpo, the head priest of a Zen Buddhist t...
This book explores how the relationship between child and parent develops in Japan, from the earliest point in a child's life, through the transition from family to the wider world, first to playschools and then schools. It shows how touch and physical contact are important for engendering intimacy and feeling, and how intimacy and feeling continue even when physical contact lessens. It relates the position in Japan to theoretical writing, in both Japan and the West, on body, mind, intimacy and feeling, and compares the position in Japan to practices elsewhere. Overall, the book makes a...
This book explores how the relationship between child and parent develops in Japan, from the earliest point in a child's life, through the transiti...
Contemporary Japan is in a state of transition, caused by the forces of globalization that are derailing its ailing economy, stalemating the political establishment and generating alternative lifestyles and possibilities of the self. Amongst this nascent change, Japanese society is confronted with new challenges to answer the fundamental question of how to live a good life of meaning, purpose and value. This book, based on extensive fieldwork and original research, considers how specific groups of Japanese people view and strive for the pursuit of happiness. It examines the importance of...
Contemporary Japan is in a state of transition, caused by the forces of globalization that are derailing its ailing economy, stalemating the political...
Many books on religion in Japan consider the subject from the perspective of the major religions and how they have developed in Japan. This book, on the other hand, examines the lives of ordinary Japanese people, and their life cycles, and explores why they engage in religious activities. It discusses how Japanese people engage in different religious practices as they encounter new events in their lives, analyses the attitudes and motivations behind religious and apparently religious behaviour, and includes coverage of activities such as fortune-telling, visits to shrines and temples, and...
Many books on religion in Japan consider the subject from the perspective of the major religions and how they have developed in Japan. This book, on t...