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Shugendo in Europe (2)

September 15, 2013 / John D. / 6 Comments

Christian Grübl in the midst of the Koshikidake group with whom he trained

This is the second part of an interview with Christian Grübl, a qualified Yamabushi monk who is introducing Shugendo to Austria. (For the first part, click here.)

Personally, as someone who spent childhood holidays at Wolfgangsee in the Austrian lake district, I’m delighted to learn of the coming of mountain asceticism to the glorious Austrian landscape.

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Procession of yamabushi mountain ascetics n full regalia (all photos courtesy Grübl)

4) Could you tell us about the students and what kind of  activities you engage in?
First I have to say, that Soke Koshikidake is the only teacher and grand master of a Shugendo line who allows foreigners to learn and practice Shugendo. It is impossible for non-Japanese to get accepted into one of the three big Shugendo schools. Further there are big differences in methodology and concept of the way of Shugendo in the different schools.

There are a lot of Yamabushi in Japan who only meet once a year to participate in a Mine Iri (‘entering the mountains’). In our school regular practice is very important to grasp the core meaning of the different prayers and to make a connection to the gods.

In Austria I teach what I am able to and have been authorized to: Fudo Myo Rosary Prayer, the Senko Goma fire ritual, the Enno Gyoja  prayer, Horagai (conch shell trumpet) and the basics of Shugendo.

5) What changes or modifications have you had to make? What about the language for instance? And what about the kami or deities?
Through my studies I gained a new respect for nature and the universe. I learned that everything comes back to you eventually, be that in a good or bad way. Shugendo is not just a religion consisting of Buddhist and Shintoist teachings, but also a way of life that teaches us to see the true values in life.

Unfortunately I do not speak Japanese, but that is not a problem, since Soke Koshikidake is fluent in English. Reading the Japanese texts does require some practice, but after getting used to it, even that works fine.    My teacher translated a lot of the countless old Densho which are family property of the Koshikidake family into English, and therefore it is possible for everyone to grasp and understand the meanings.

Christian performs cold water rites to a conch-shell accompaniment

We have a myriad of gods (Kami) which we worship. Since Shugendo is a mixture of Vajrayana Buddhism and Shinto, we worship the same gods. Our main god apart from the Nyorai, Bosatsu and Gongen is Fudo Myoo and also the Shinto gods like Izanagi and Izanami no Mikoto.

6) How do you see things developing in future? Do you think that  Shugendo will take root in Europe, much like kendo and aikido etc.?
Soke Koshikidake is working on building a worldwide organization at the moment. In digital times like ours there are a lot of ways to reach interested people.  An all-encompassing Shugendo book by Soke Koshikidake will soon be available, and it will also be available in English and German. In Canada and America Stephen Ip, another one of Soke’s  students, will take care of distribution, and I will do the same in Europe.

Because of the broad spectrum Shugendo covers, it can be  interesting and possible to learn for everyone. It is important to make this tradition available worldwide, so that foreigners can also travel to Japan and be part of a ‘mountain entry’.

When we practice Shugendo we try to stay as close to the original practiced in Japan. Even the mountain training is very similar, because we have the same opportunities in the Austrian Alps as we do in Japan.   Whether the chance to succeed abroad is higher than for other Asian traditions is not important. The important part is that it is freely accessible and finds its way all around the world as the Koryu tradition.

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For further information about Christian’s activities, visit his websites:
http://www.shugendo-austria.org/
http://www.yamabushi-dojo.org/

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Christian leads the way in one of the fire rites

Misogi (cold water rites, an essential part of Shugendo

An indoor recital of prayers

Conch-shell blowing requires good lung power

Conch shell practice on Mt Koshikidake in Yamagata Prefecture

Shugendo in Europe (1)

September 14, 2013 / John D. / 2 Comments

Christian Grübl is pioneering a new path in Austria (photos courtesy Grübl)

Shugendo (mountain asceticism) used to be one of Japan’s best-kept secrets, mainly because it was banned by the Meiji ideologues in 1872 and not made legal again until 1942. That it survived is testimony to its robustness and to the way that mountain worship is rooted in the Japanese psyche. Now it’s spreading abroad.

When I visited Dorogawa near the Omine mountains to explore Shugendo for myself, I kept hearing about a Frenchman who was well known in those parts for his accomplishments. Later I discovered that he had set up a Shugendo project in France, the website for which has achieved a certain fame for its authoritative information.

Now news comes of a Shugendo operation in Austria, and Green Shinto is delighted to carry an interview with Christian Grübl, the pioneering spirit in this project. Free of the ‘baggage’ that goes with mainstream Shinto, Shugendo offers Westerners a real chance to engage in authentic ‘back to nature’ spirituality. I believe its time has surely come!

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Christian Grübl, who is a qualified 'yamabushi' mountain ascetic

1) How did you come to practice such a very Japanese activity in a country like Austria?
As a kid i started to train in the Japanese martial arts Ninjutsu and Karate, and soon afterward I saw Bujutsu as my way of life.  When one looks into the arts of the Shinobi [high-level ninja], then you come across the Yamabushi [mountain ascetics] because their clothes were often used as camouflage in the art of Hensojutsu when infiltrating.

We also know the practice of Kuji-in and Kuji-kiri from Hollywood movies (where it is portrayed completely wrong). These are typical practices from Shugendo.

Around ten years ago I started to intensify my studies of Shugendo and studied in France for a while with a French Mikkyo monk. By coincidence I met my teacher Shokai Koshikidake thanks to digital media, and now I study every year with him in Japan.

2) You say you are a Yamabushi Monk of Koshikidake Koryu. Can you explain what that means exactly, and what does it involve?
I used to be a non-believer and didn’t really know what to do with  prayer. While studying Japanese mythology and my studies about Shugendo I discovered a completely new world for myself. I realized that the practices and prayers which I learned did have an effect.

Inauguration ceremony in Kannonji Temple

My teacher too felt that I was very serious about Shugendo. At one time he asked me if I wanted to receive “Tokudo” – the inauguration to be a Shugenja. This was one of the most important moments of my life, a huge honor, but also tremendous responsibility.

In the 1400 year old Koshikidake tradition I was now the first European who would bring this way, this religion, to Europe and also have the authorization to teach it.

3) How did you go about setting up a group in a country with no  practitioners?
I think that by now more people are interested in old Asian culture and arts in the West than in Asia itself. In Japan most young people go dancing and want to have fun – which is completely OK. Unfortunately some very important things get lost and traditions die out. By contrast the interest in Martial Arts, Meditation and Japanese religion here in Europe is huge.

Two big TV Stations already produced short documentations about  Shugendo. The only “problem” is that a lot of people think that  Shugendo only consists of Waterfall Meditation and Firewalks, since the media like to show these practices.

Once a year I invite people to the Austrian Alps to take part in a  waterfall meditation. It is incredible how many people are interested in this rather hard ascetic practice. The problem here in Europe is that we think completely differently than Japanese people, and Europeans often can’t get a grasp of the many different gods of Shinto and Buddhism.

The biggest struggle for people who have no previous experience with Japanese religion is to learn the basics. I am currently teaching a small group and have also had (guest) students from Russia and Germany already.

(To be continued.)

Practitioners at prayer

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For further information about Christian’s activities, visit his websites:
http://www.shugendo-austria.org/
http://www.yamabushi-dojo.org/

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Shugendo in Japan; pictures by John D.

Yammabushi (mountain ascetics) of different ranks, as can be seen by the colour of their pompoms

Shugendo has its ranking too, and as in Buddhism deference is shown by shading the most senior with an umbrella

Blowing a conch horn is a prized skill in the mountains

A whole line of 'horagai' (conch-shell) blowers at Shogo-in temple in Kyoto

Procession of yamabushi mountain ascetics belonging to the Tendai branch of Buddhism

No cigarettes, but you have to like smoking when attending Shugendo fire festivals!

Mini Fuji’s

September 13, 2013 / John D. / 1 Comment

One of the many mini-Fujis– 50 in Tokyo alone (photo courtesy Yomiuri)

Hoofing it to sacred fujizuka
Hitoshi Ono / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Sept, 13, 2013

Is it too much of a hassle for you to climb Mt. Fuji? Local fujizuka, or small, man-made hills found mainly in the Kanto region, offer a charming and less physically taxing alternative.

With this year’s designation of Mt. Fuji as a UNESCO World Heritage site, fujizuka have seen an increase in visits by people who want to deepen their understanding of the sacred mountain.

Ordinary people began worshipping Mt. Fuji during the Edo period (1603-1867). At that time, local fujizuka were created one after another for the benefit of those who could not go to pray at the 3,776-meter-high mountain. They were usually built near residential areas, such as on the grounds of a shrine, at heights of up to several dozen meters.

A typical fujizuka comprises a mound of earth decorated with stones and a path that leads to a small shrine on top. Rocks are placed and small “caverns” are made to give the mound the appearance of Mt. Fuji.

Hatomori-Hachiman Shrine in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, is home to the Sendagaya fujizuka, which was built in 1789. Visitors can climb the 6-meter-high hill all year round by way of a path, called ochudo, that winds almost entirely around the hillside.

This authentic fujizuka has a cave in which a stone statue is enshrined. It takes only a few minutes to reach the top, and the summit is covered with lava rocks that are believed to have been brought from Mt. Fuji.

Shunji Hirano, the shrine’s head priest, said recently there have been more young female visitors, as well as older men. Since three years ago, the shrine has sold a memorial certificate for ¥300 to those who ascend the fujizuka.

A 34-year-old female company employee from Tokyo visiting the shrine said Mt. Fuji’s heritage designation prompted her visit. “Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Heritage site. I came here to commemorate that,” she said. “In fact, I was overwhelmed by the steep path. I felt like I climbed part of Mt. Fuji.”

The surface of “Sunamachi Fuji” in Tomigaoka Hachimangu shrine in Koto Ward, Tokyo, is covered with rocks, giving the grounds a solemn, reverent atmosphere.

There are about 50 fujizuka spread around Tokyo’s 23 wards, and 300 in the Kanto region, according to Yoko Arisaka, an artist and author of “Furukute Atarashii Oedo Power Spot: Fujizuka Yurusanpo” (Old yet new spiritual sites in Tokyo: Strolling around fujizuka).

“People are showing greater interest in fujizuka as a casual sightseeing spot in their area. The boom in popularity will be a good chance to spread the culture of Mt. Fuji,” Arisaka said.

Some local governments promote their respective region’s fujizuka. Several in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, are open all year round. The ward’s tourist center hands out free pamphlets explaining the area’s fujizuka, and a tourist association posted a special section on the sites on its website in July.

From Sept. 14 to Nov. 4, Shinjuku Historical Museum, near Tokyo’s Yotsuya-Sanchome Station, will hold a special exhibition of Shinjuku Ward’s cultural assets. The exhibition will feature the Mt. Fuji worship group Fujiko, and show related videos and display panels of the group climbing the mountain.

Not all fujizuka are open all the time, while others are roped off. It is best to check with shrines and local governments before visiting. Some fujizuka are quite rocky, so climbers should wear proper climbing shoes.

The real Fuji is only accessible for a couple of months in June and July. The rest of the year ascending the mini-Fuji's may have to suffice

State Shinto (Book Review)

September 13, 2013 / John D. / 0 Comments

Shinto and the State 1868-1988
Helen Hardacre Princeton University Press, 1989

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‘Nowhere else in modern history do we find so pronounced an example of state sponsorship of a religion – in some respects the state can be said to have created Shinto as its official “tradition”.’

Helen Hardacre’s book covers a century of modern Shinto, arguing that the religion as we know it is an invention of Meiji ideologues to support the authority of the new state. This led to the excesses of State Shinto, where loyalty to the emperor was posited as the supreme virtue. Moreover, the book suggests that, despite the decoupling of state and religion following defeat in WW2, the framework constructed by Meiji reformists remains in place. In short, Shinto as we now know it is an ‘invented tradition’.

(The term ‘invented tradition’ was coined by Eric Hobsbawn in 1983 to denote the way that in the nineteenth century, faced with the unsettling effects of industrialisation, states drew on the past to foster a sense of continuation and belonging.)

Published 25 years ago, Hardacre’s trenchant analysis is bolstered by factual detail, which does not always make easy reading, but the book remains in print and is regarded as a classic. It’s the definitive work in English. The author is a distinguished academic, currently at Harvard University where she is Reischauer Professor of Japanese Religions and Society. (At the time of writing she was professor at Griffith University, Australia.)

In order to set the Meiji reforms in context, Hardacre describes Shinto in the Edo era as ‘ a mere appendage’ to Buddhism. There were, it is true, localised cults with independent lineages, but there was no central authority. Moreover, there was no unified training of priests. Indeed, there were precious few ‘Shinto priests’ (perhaps just 5%), since the vast majority of kami worship was conducted by Buddhist monks, shugendo practitioners, shamans, or village elders.

Since the Tokugawa regime privileged Buddhism as a tool of state, the result was that most shrines were under Buddhist control. Larger shrines were part of syncretic complexes known as miyadera run by Buddhist priests. Even the few independent institutions such as Ise and Izumo had close Buddhist connections, and Hardacre states that in Ise there were a scarcely credible 300 temples.

Among the populace at large there was little if any consciousness of something called ‘Shinto’. (Even today many of my students don’t know the word.) Kami worship was carried out, but not in any kind of structured or organised fashion. ‘In an institutional sense,’ summarises Hardacre, ‘Shinto has no legitimate claim to antiquity.’

The first signs of change to the status quo came with Nativism, or Kokugaku as it is known. Hardacre does not spend much time on this, which is regrettable since it’s crucial to the formation of modern Shinto, particularly the nationalist aspects. Inspired by Confucian notions of studying the past, thinkers such as Kamo no Mabuchi and others looked back to an idealised ‘pure’ Japanese past before foreign ideas polluted the homeland.

Shugendo was banned by the Meiji Reformists in 1872 and its adherents forced to choose between Shinto and Buddhism. The ban was only lifted in 1947.

Motoori Norinaga was particularly influential in asserting the supremacy of Japan, driven by a loathing of the Chinese and their rationality. By contrast, the Japanese were held up as intuitive, harmonious, and naturally virtuous. Moreover, they had an unbroken imperial line which was descended from the gods, proving their divinity. The populace would by rights revere the emperor, as in the mythical past, but his authority had been usurped by military shoguns. In this way an ideology was conveniently at hand for the anti-shogunate movement of the 1860s.

When the Restorationists came to power, they drew on the ideas of Kokugaku to foster an emperor-centred state (in effect run by themselves). In this they were inspired by the role of Christianity in the West. In promoting a state religion, they spread the idea that Shinto had been suppressed under Buddhism. Consequently the split of Buddhism and Shinto in 1868 was far from amicable, and in some cases the two elements had to be forcibly torn apart.

The ‘construction’ of the new religion is covered by Hardacre in some detail. Shrines were ranked in a hierarchy, with the imperial shrine of Ise at the apex. Rather than an agricultural deity, Amaterasu was championed as founder of the imperial lineage, and Ise was thus privileged as the ancestral shrine of the emperor. The bias towards imperial ancestors was reflected in Izumo’s Okuninushi being excluded from the national pantheon. At the same emphasis was given to Yasukuni as a place to commemorate those who had died in the service of the emperor – a new idea.

The intention of the Meiji reformers was to bolster the authority of Ise, and thus the emperor, and thereby those who ran the state in his name. 70 Daijingu, or Kotai Jingu, were established as branches of Ise to promote the imperial shrine nationwide. Moreover, the notion was spread that every house should have an Ise talisman.

Between 1903 and 1920 there was a massive state-sponsored reorganisation of shrines to firm up the imperial connection. A ‘one village one shrine’ policy led to the closure of thousands of shrines with local deities – some 83,000 shrines disappeared nationwide. In their place officially sanctioned imperial kami were promoted, and ancestral tombs of the emperor’s lineage identified by experts (often mistakenly).

Modern priest families largely owe themselves to the reforms of Meiji times

Whereas kami worship was conducted for the most part without a Shinto priest in Edo times, rituals were now carried out by a unified priesthood trained by a centralised organisation. The Imperial Rescript on Education strengthened the notion of imperial divinity, and the idea was spread that Shinto rites were not religious but a part of national life. Hardacre notes that priests were eager to embrace these reforms, since it brought them state patronage, though the general populace were less enthusiastic.

The result of the Meiji-era reforms was that Shinto became a servant of state, and as the country moved towards militarisation, the new religion fell in behind it. ‘A strong association between Shinto and war was the inevitable result,’ writes Hardacre, ‘and the priesthood voiced no reservations about the use of shrines to glorify death in battle.’

The excesses of the war period are well-known, but it is in the closing chapter of her book that Hardacre performs her most valuable function. There is a tendency to think of State Shinto as having been decisively dismantled by American reforms in the Occupation Period. Hardacre suggests otherwise, noting that the Meiji-era institutions remain essentially in place. Moreover, ‘the priesthood overwhelmingly favors a return to the prewar situation,’ she notes. What she doesn’t mention is the influence of inheritance on this, as the vast majority of priests come from Shinto families who benefitted from the Meiji reforms and therefore owe their vocation and livelihood to them.

The National Association of Shrines, Jinja Honcho, was established in 1946 and is officially independent, though it continues to devote the bulk of its efforts to bolstering the authority of Ise. Teeuwen and Breen have noted the deleterious effect of this on the finances of local shrines. The efforts of the present ruling party (LDP) to legitimise Yasukuni serve similar ends in being ‘a clear reassertion of prewar values’. The invented traditions of the Meiji Restoration thus continue to set the agenda.

This book is an essential read for anyone seriously concerned with the present state of modern Shinto. It not only provides a context for the understanding of contemporary issues, but shows how and why they are rooted in the past. As George Orwell noted, those who control the present determine the past, and the notion that Shinto is the continuation of an age old tradition is one of the ways in which history is manipulated. Though this book is now nearly 25 years old, the intervening years have done little to date the arguments, and the weight of evidence is overwhelming. Hardacre surely proves her case.

A banner promoting worship at Ise in one of the country's 80,000 shrines - the National Association of Shrines has made this official policy, in the manner of the Meiji reforms

Tarobo-gu (Shiga)

September 10, 2013 / John D. / 3 Comments

The Akagami hill to which Tarobo-gu clings on the lower slopes

PAGAN’S DELIGHT

For a neo-pagan, Japan is a magical treasure-house of sacred sites and power spots. Many date back to prehistoric times, their origins obscured by a mist thicker even than that of ancient Avalon. There are swords here more sacred than Excalibur, myths more potent than Camelot, a female deity to rival even the great Earth Goddess herself. All this and a primal religion that remains intact, not fabricated. For a seeker of the old ways, Japan is a pagan’s delight indeed.

Such is the plenitude of holy places that somewhere special like Tarobo-gu (aka Taroubou-gu) goes practically unknown. My Japanese friends had never heard of it. Yet this Shiga-ken mountain shrine would surely be high on the list of spiritual centres if it were in any other country. A striking setting; captivating legends; and over 1200 years of spiritual endeavour.

A Tengu water-basin for purification

The mountain, named Akagami, has a distinctive shape, rising out of the valley floor like a miniature Mt Fuji. From the approach road there are 742 steps up to the main shrine. Be prepared for a steep climb. If you’re not up to that, it’s possible to drive up to the main complex, but then of course you won’t earn any merit. Besides, it’s rather wonderful to arrive at an unmanned railway station in the middle of nowhere with not a coffee shop or convenience store in sight. Just a road that beckons to a sacred hill.

Mountain asceticism 
Akagami has been a place of worship since before the seventh century, when the Buddhist Prince Shotoku visited it. In recognition of its spiritual power he established a temple for the protection of the realm. Later on Saicho, founder of the Tendai sect, came to pray and started a hermitage for his followers.

From the outset Tendai has revered local kami, and for centuries the mountain hosted a Shinto-Buddhist complex. It also served as a centre for shugendo (mountain asceticism). The name of the shrine, Tarobo, refers to a tengu king. A mythical creature with shamanistic overtones, the tengu dwell in the mountains and are linked to mountain asceticism and martial arts.

The Tarobo tengu is supposedly the elder brother of the Kurama tengu, under which the twelfth-century hero Yoshitsune trained. The young boy was an apprentice at the Tendai temple near Kyoto, and when he escaped to join his brother Yoritomo he made for the Akagami complex. The rock where he rested is now a shrine to his memory.

Cold waterfall for ascetic rites

Evidence of the shugendo connection is everywhere apparent at the shrine. Water basins intended for cold water austerities. Ropes dangling from death-defying cliffs. And a meditative walk along the rock face presided over by a statue of the shugendo founder, the legendary En no Gyoja (fl.660).

Syncretism
For centuries the temple-shrine complex on Akagami remained a thriving exemplar of Japanese syncretism. But after the coming to power of the Meiji government in 1868, religious institutions were forced to choose between Shinto and Buddhism by authorities keen to impose a state religion. Many believe this to be an artificial division, and that Shinto-Buddhism represents Japan’s natural mindset. It certainly seems that way on Tarobo, since the shrine precincts are home to several examples of Buddhist statuary.

The main kami is a son of Amaterasu. His name is not widely known,unsurprisingly since it’s Masaka-Akatsukachi-Hayahiameno-Oshi-Homimi-no-Mikoto. In Japanese mythology he was a heavenly warrior offered the chance by his mother to ‘descend to earth’ but he demurred in favour of his son Ninigi. According to the shrine, he has the attributes of the sun, rising every morning without fail to conquer darkness. As such he’s a kami of victory, whether it be in business, exams, martial arts or any other field of life. Prayers should be directed to that end.

The shrine’s main feature is a massive ‘husband and wife’ rock that according to legend was cleaved in half by the sword of a mighty kami. A narrow path leads between the two sheer rock faces, and if you’re pure of heart you can pass straight through. Liars, however, will be wedged in half-way. It’s a test of the ‘makoto’ (sincerity) that lies at the heart of Shinto – and some would say Japanese culture as a whole.

Intriguing pathways lead off from the main building, and there are more sacred rocks at the top of the mountain. There are also fine views on a clear day. There’s a small Dream Shrine too where, if you write a wish on a white stone, your dream will come true. Magical, you might say.

The highlight of the year is a fire festival on the first Sunday of December. This is one of the biggest events in the shugendo calendar, attended by some three hundred yamabushi (mountain ascetics). Thousands of wooden tablets are sent up in billowing smoke to waft the prayers of the faithful to heaven. Afterwards there is fire-walking, with onlookers too invited to join in. A midwinter fire with conch-horns; nature worshippers in deerskin; sacred rites and ancient spells. It’s a spectacle that will surely warm the heart of any pagan!
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Directions: From Kyoto or Osaka, take the ‘shinkaisoku’ to Omihachiman, then a local train for 15 mins to Tarobo station. From there it’s a ten minute walk to the shrine steps. Tel. 0748 23-1341.

Passing between the sacred rocks is supposed to bring good luck - an obvious incentive by the kami to diet.

Some of the steps are steep, and some of the buildings improbably built into the rockside

En no Gyoja, legendary founder of Shugendo mountain asceticism

Entrance way to a shrine on a magical rock

Miyazaki Hayao to retire

September 3, 2013 / John D. / 0 Comments

Influential anime maker and manga artist Miyazaki Hayao is to retire. His latest film The Wind Rises was released in July and the director has announced that it will be his final feature-length film. An appreciation of his career can be read on Wikipedia or here.

The film maker is of note here because of the many Shinto themes that appear in his works. Several online sites have dealt with the subject, including this thoughtful piece with references and useful illustrations (click on them to enlarge): http://culturevisuelle.org/introtovc/archives/727

There’s also an academic piece dealing specifically with Shinto themes in the film Spirited Away, which can be accessed at this site: http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol8No2/boydShinto.htm

This paper by Lucy Wright has some interesting observations about the role of kami and nature in Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away: http://refractory.unimelb.edu.au/2004/02/03/wonderment-and-awe-the-way-of-the-kami-lucy-wright/

Finally, this piece looks particularly interesting though it’s only available at a price: http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/nl.6.1.181_1 Sorensen, Lars-Martin (2008). Animated animism – the global ways of Japan’s national spirits. Northern Lights: Film and Media Studies Yearbook, 6(1), 181-196.

“This article discusses the tremendous global success of Japanese anime, its uses and negotiations of Japanese religious and nationalist mythology, and the way these features are appropriated domestically and abroad. Emphasis is given to the works of Hayao Miyazaki, whose films have been categorized as ‘de-assuring’ Japaneseness and as promoting an environmentalist agenda. It is discussed whether the indigenous religion, Shinto, which has historically served as a vehicle for nationalism, can be applied to progressive ends unproblematically. The article argues that while the intended meaning of Miyazaki’s films may be to further ecological awareness, another concern of Miyazaki’s, namely to promote traditional cultural values, puts his work at risk of being construed along the lines of contemporary Japanese nationalism. Finally, the broader workings behind the global success of those apparently highly culture-specific films are discussed.”

Sacred woods dissertation

September 2, 2013 / John D. / 1 Comment

The finished dissertation with its intriguing title

Congratulation to Green Shinto friend, Aike Rots, who has just completed his dissertation on Sacred Forests in Japan. His research took him to some of the most interesting shrines working along environmental principles, as documented in a previous posting. It’s ground-breaking work in at least one sense (!) and we look forward to seeing the work in published form one day.

Aike writes: ‘The dissertation is now going to be sent to the defense committee. If they decide that it is good enough for defense, this will become the final version, and it will be printed/published by the university. I assume that from that moment I can send the PDF to anybody who is interested, but I’ll have to check whether there are any rules for this. After my defense I will also get in touch with publishers to turn it into a real book. That will probably require some rewriting though, so it may take a while.’

Wayside shrine on the way to Rinno-ji in Nikko