Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan

This book draws attention to a striking aspect of contemporary Japanese culture: the prevalence of discussions and representations of spirits (<i>tama</i> or <i>tamashii</i>). Ancestor cults have played a central role in Japanese culture and religion for many centuries; in recent decades however other phenomena have expanded and diversified the realm of Japanese animism. For example many manga anime TV shows literature and art works deal with spirits ghosts or with an invisible dimension of reality. International contributors ask to what extent these are cultural forms created by the media for consumption rather than manifestations of traditional ancestral spirituality in their adaptations to contemporary society. <br/> <i><br/> Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan</i> considers the modes of representations and the possible cultural meanings of spirits as well as the metaphysical implications of contemporary Japanese ideas about spirits. The chapters offer analyses of specific cases of animistic attitudes in which the presence of spirits and spiritual forces is alleged and attempt to trace cultural genealogies of those attitudes. In particular they present various modes of representation of spirits (in contemporary art architecture visual culture cinema literature diffuse spirituality) while at the same time addressing their underlying intellectual and religious assumptions.