A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine

‘A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine’ by John K. Nelson  US: Univ of  Washington, 1996 286 pages.  ISBN 0-295-97500-8  $17.50

The author teaches anthropology and religion (formerly Univ of Texas, now Univ of San Francisco).  Yet the book is free of academic jargon and is written in a clear manner with a lot of human interest.  It centres on Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki, with chapters about the history, the head priest, the set-up, the main festivals, and some of the rites. There is a variety of approach, including a subjective impression of what priests may be thinking or feeling.  Though the viewpoint is that of an outsider, it is concerned to convey both the sentiment behind the rituals and the significance in community terms.  The narrative takes a bemused stance at times (Where do the impurities being swept away go exactly?), but gets serious when Nelson addresses the right-wing leanings of Shinto and the revived nationalism of recent years.  In all, there is much interesting information on a miscellany of topics, ranging from the symbolism of rice to the rise of shinjinrui (new types of human) in postwar society.

Summary: A book for those wanting to learn in more detail about the life of priests and what part shrines play in Japanese life.

View from Suwa Jinja over Nagasaki