In Japan, the term “animism” is used with positive connotations as a way to describe widespread forms of Japanese religiosity and, to an extent, Japanese cultural identity. In this workshop, scholars from Japan explore some contemporary cultural formations defined in Japan as expressions of “animism” also in conversation with UCSB scholars.
Participants:
Kikuko Hirafuji (professor, Kokugakuin University, Tokyo)
Chihiro Minato (professor, curator and photographer, Tama University of the Arts, Tokyo)
Bon Koizumi (director, Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, Matsue)
Kazuo Matsumura (professor emeritus, Wakō University, Tokyo)
From UCSB:
Fabio Rambelli (Religious Studies, East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies)
Christine Thomas (Religious Studies)
Amit Shilo (Classics)
Rudy Busto (Religious Studies)
Others TBD
