Buddhist monastery; Modernization; Japanese cultural
摘要
Cultural identity seems to be very much individual, subjective, vague and fl uid although collective identity in a group is also referred to as cultural identity. Japanese people had to have religious identity as Buddhists in the Edo period because everyone was affi liated to a Buddhist monastery. Although it is almost impossible to preserve religious identity in the process of modernization, it is necessary for Japanese Buddhism to provide with satisfactory supply of religious supports. I would like to look into the history of Buddhism in Japan to fi nd out why Buddhism does not meet the religious demand from Japanese people. In this presentation, I will talk about the characteristics of Japanese cultural identity with regard to religions, especially Buddhism.
目次
Introduction 327 Japanese Religious Identity 328 Brief History of Buddhism in Japan 330 Meiji Restoration and Buddhism 332 Conclusion 333
