News has arrived of the publication of a Guide to Benzaiten on Mark Schuhmacher’s website about Japanese religion. It’s a hugely impressive affair with 68 pages and 250 images from around the country, a true labour of love. Congratulations … Read the rest
Green Shinto friend, Paul Carty, has written in with information taken from the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan by Reiko Chiba (Tuttle, 1966). It’s a short book which looks at the origins.
The first recorded mention apparently is 1420 in … Read the rest
The Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) may be the ultimate in Japan’s syncretic landscape. They pop up anywhere and everywhere, whether Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple. Though the Meiji government tried to sever all forms of syncretism, they failed miserably … Read the rest
On a recent visit to Yokohama, I happened to visit the huge Shingon temple of Kawasaki Daishi and was struck by some of the syncretic elements on show.
Shingon, it is often said, is the closest Buddhist sect to … Read the rest
Extract from my book In Search of Japan’s Hidden Christians, published today in the US, the UK and Japan…. (For Part One of this article, see here.)
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As my journey was nearing its end, I happened … Read the rest
Today is the official launch of my new book, In Search of Japan’s Hidden Christians (Tuttle). In celebration I thought I’d write something of the Shinto connection. Some may be surprised to find that there is one, because the Hidden … Read the rest
More than 1000 years ago my local shrine, Shimogamo Jinja, used to house a school and museum. By way of commemoration a panel of local academics has been set up to promote the shrine, and their first initiative is … Read the rest
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