One often comes across Shinto priests speaking out on matters that concern right-wing nationalism. Sadly this is not balanced by the number of Shinto priests who speak out in favour of environmentalism, human rights and universalism.
In the current controversy … Read the rest
News comes today of the resounding re-election of prime minister Abe Shinzo, a self-declared nationalist. He and his supporters, who include both conservatives and those on the far right, promote what are called ‘Shinto values’ in a nostalgic wish to … Read the rest
Green Shinto is delighted to host a piece by Deep Kyoto blogger, Michael Lambe, about the current major exhibition at the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art. (The exhibition is on until December 14th.) To learn more about Michael’s blog, … Read the rest
Four recent articles have highlighted the growing danger of right-wing extremism in Japan.
First Murakami Haruki, Japan’s leading novelist, spoke out against the whitewashing of Japan’s record in WW2. “After the war, it was eventually concluded that no one was … Read the rest
The other day I took a taxi ride and struck up conversation with the driver. Amongst other things, he told me he was a Communist but that he liked the present emperor who was doing a good job of … Read the rest
The divisive nature of Yasukuni Jinja is highlighted each year on the anniversary of Japan’s defeat in WW2, when the shrine acts as a symbolic rallying point for extremists. An article in The Japan Times below illustrates to what extent … Read the rest
One of my students came to class wearing a magatama round his neck today. When I asked him where he’d got it from, to my surprise he told me he’d ordered it from amazon. (Click here or here for examples.)… Read the rest
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