A History of Japanese Religion

by Kazuo Kasahara

Seventeen distinguished experts on Japanese religion provide a fascinating overview of its history and development. Beginning with the origins of religion in primitive Japanese society, they chart the growth of each of Japan's major religious organizations and doctrinal systems. They follow Buddhism, Shintoism, Christianity, and popular religious belief through major periods of change to show how history and religion affected each-and discuss the interactions between the different religious traditions.

Genres: History, Religion, Japan, Buddhism, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature

648 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2002

Reviews

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good survey of religious evolution. It tells stories of human struggles and innovations, rather than just recording a clash of ideologies and organizations. The various sects and traditions slowly move toward a fruitful symbiosis instead of a competition for dominance.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok introduction to Japanese religion but it could do with new perspectives. The wording is dry, which could be attributed to it being a translated work. The structure is somewhat haphazard, though the maps in the beginning of some chapters are helpful. As a whole it glosses over many aspects and leaves out important details. To me it tried to accomplish to encompass too much and did not quite succeed, especially since there seem little connections drawn or shown that would make it a preferable read to specific books about Buddhism, Shinto or the like. Japanese characters are sorely missed in the whole book (the exception being the index).

[Calvin]

Very very dry. It is really more of a reference book. Some nice sections that flesh out things I didn’t know of, but overall a slog of a reading experience. I hesitate to give it a star rating because it would be an excellent companion to studies of religion in japan but as a stand alone volume the translated prose and multiplicity of authors with little to no through lines or argumentation makes for a bad intro without further context

[Ellen Brenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would make an excellent reference if you ever have any questions about the history of Japanese religion but it is incredibly dry and does not make for an enjoyable read.

[Yusak Lie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good for those who want to understand why Japan has so many cultural point of view. Apparently, each religion discussed in this book has contributed their influence to Japanese culture.