Asian Folk Religion and Cultural Interaction. By Yoshihiro Nikaidō. V&R Academic, October 1, 2015. 262 pages. ISBN-10: 3847104853 ISBN-13: 978-3847104858
摘要
Nikaidō's well illustrated book provides extensive provenance for various icons found in temples throughout East Asia. As interest in religious studies of material culture increases, many will find this book a worthwhile reference. Section I focuses on the visual culture of China's five peaks (Wushan) and its connections to temples of Kyōto and Kamakura's five peaks (Gozan). Section II investigates the evolution of icons and architecture found in Taiwan, Singapore, Nagasaki, and Okinawa. Often no supporting documents for the history of these objects are extant and sometimes the original examples of the icons themselves are no longer available. Nikaidō's historical sleuthing unveils the various cultural exchanges that occurred between China and the East Asian periphery to provide a full explanation of contemporary iconography and its religious significance. Available evidence provides glimpses, but rarely definitive answers, into the continental influences of Japanese Buddhism. The scope of the study is ambitious and broad, which allows for multiple examples of cultural interactions among different parts of East Asia. However, an overarching narrative linking these various case studies or independent fieldwork projects is sacrificed. The real strength of Nikaidō's study is his geographic precision through comparing the devotional practices of specific temples and icons in China and Japan, Taiwan, or Singapore. Extensive translation and utilization of Chinese sources, when available, is also commendable. This allows him to suggest correlations that are well supported and plausible. The study illustrates how icons evolve through cultural exchange based on the specific religious contexts to which they immigrate.
