Category Archives: Death

Death and No-thing-ness

Posted on April 27, 2013 by John D.

Death is often cited as a prime reason why people turn to religion.  The consolation of an afterlife is attractive to many, and fear of rotting or burning in hell haunts others. Shinto is pretty relaxed about the afterlife because … Continue reading →

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Kumano 5): Sailing away

Posted on March 15, 2013 by John D.

  Those who have read The Catalpa Bow will know of the notion that paradise lay on the far side of the sea.  For medieval believers, the idea was that Kannon’s island paradise called Mt Furdaraku (or Potala in Sanskrit) … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Kumano, Syncretism, World Heritage | 1 Comment

Life goes on

Posted on December 21, 2012 by John D.

The end of the world appears not to have taken place after all, as Mayan freaks suggested, but symbolically with the winter solstice today the death of nature is taking place.  So commiserations and congratulations are in order.  The king … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Ise, Mythology, Rites and celebrations | Leave a comment

Festival for the dead

Posted on August 19, 2012 by John D.

The Nagatoro Funadama Festival was held on the Arakawa River in Saitama Prefecture this week, reports Japan Today.  It is a traditional event staged in Nagatoro, a town famous for whitewater boating, and the origin lies in requesting that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Festivals | 1 Comment

Pagan connectons 12) Ancestor worship

Posted on August 15, 2012 by John D.

  Today is Obon in Kyoto, when ancestral spirits are welcomed back home before being sent off with a grand fire ceremony called Daimonji, about which I’ve written previously.  (See here.)  The festival appeals to the syncretic sentiments of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancestor worship, Death, Paganism | 4 Comments

3/11 Commemoration ceremonies

Posted on March 6, 2012 by John D.

Today’s Huffington Post carries a news item on preparations for the one-year anniversary of the tsunami.  The number of shrines damaged in the disaster is quite startling: roughly 5% of the country’s total. *************************************************************************************************** Shinto Priests Prepare To Hold Commemoration … Continue reading →

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The Way of Death

Posted on March 4, 2012 by John D.

This month’s Kansai Scene has an article that covers the Japanese way of dealing with death that provides a comprehensive overview of the subject….    appropriate perhaps as we approach 3/11 (see previous post), though the article is timed to … Continue reading →

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Tsunami anniversary (BBC podcast)

Posted on March 3, 2012 by John D.

With the anniversary of the devasting tsunami of nothern Japan coming up on 3/11, the BBC have issued a programme which will be available for the next 30 days as a podcast… http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/heartsoul/heartsoul_20120302-1722a.mp3 Despite all the hard work, scenes of … Continue reading →

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Day of the Dead (Obon and ancestral spirits)

Posted on August 16, 2011 by John D.

It’s the last day of Obon, and the spirits of the dead are preparing to leave Kyoto on their journey back to the otherworld.  What is it with Japanese and spirits?  Ghostly figures haunt their imagination, and Noh is filled … Continue reading →

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Posted in Ancestor worship, Death, Festivals, Syncretism | 4 Comments