Religioznost in potrošništvo v sodobni japonski družbi

The book ('Religiosity and consumption in the contemporary Japanese society‘) explores dilemmas regarding the effects of consumer culture on the secularization of religion. Author finds the key to understanding religion in a consumer society in the so-called popular religiosity, which she analyzes against the socio-economic and political contexts from early modern to contemporary Japanese society. Using various case studies she demonstrates how alongside official religiosity the Japanese pluralist religious field ‘allowed’ for popular religiosity with its worldly interests and practical benefits, which has had a positive catalytic role in the modernization processes. A contemporary counterpoint to such traditional popular religiosity is presented through empirical research conducted at Togenuki jizō − a popular religious site in Tokyo. The street vendors of food and clothing in front of the temple are seen to borrow religious symbols to successfully promote their products, whereas the buying of products embellished with religious symbols (i.e. during the so called ennichi festivities) may serve as a means of affirming social identities and establishing temporary communal contexts, within which religious practices take place at relatively regular intervals, thus strengthening the beliefs behind the religious symbols.

Danes se pogosto poudarja kvarni vpliv modernizacije in potrošniške kulture na religijo in religioznost, a že sam obstoj tradicionalne religioznosti v (post)moderni japonski družbi kaže na skrivnost nekakšnega sožitja. Avtorica knjige ključ do razumevanja religije v potrošniški družbi poišče v t. i. ljudski religioznosti, ki jo analizira v družbenoekonomskih in političnih kontekstih od zgodnjemoderne do sodobne japonske družbe. Pokaže, kako je japonsko pluralno religijsko polje ob uradni religiji »dopuščalo« ljudsko religioznost v njenih tuzemskih interesih in praktičnih koristih, v »imanentističnem« pojmovanju božanstev in v eklektičnem, neafiliacijskem prakticiranju religije, s čimer je ta imela ugodno spodbujevalno vlogo v modernizacijskih procesih. Z empirično raziskavo potrošniškega prostora priljubljenega templja Togenuki jizō v središču Tokia pokaže, da nakupovanje oblačil in hrane z religioznimi simboli (na številne praznične dni templja) služi potrjevanju družbenih identitet in vzpostavljanju začasnih skupnostnih kontekstov, v katerih se dokaj regularno vršijo religiozne prakse in krepi verovanje, ki stoji za religioznimi simboli.