A partir do cotejo e da análise de várias obras pictóricas (pinturas, gravuras e ilustrações do Japão) e narrativas (livros, contos, peças de teatro, filmes, animações e quadrinhos japoneses), este trabalho busca apresentar a variedade e o sincretismo do sobrenatural no Japão, que não se encontra somente nos deuses xintoístas (kami), nas divindades budistas (bosatsu), nos fantasmas (yûrei), nas criaturas folclóricas (yôkai) e nos fenômenos sobrenaturais produzidos por estes, mas também nos monges, xamãs, adivinhos e nas tentativas de controlar magicamente o rumo das coisas amuletos, oráculos, festivais, rituais e oferendas. O primeiro capítulo apresenta um breve histórico das pesquisas sobre youkais e também procura defini-los e apresentar suas características próprias. O estudo prossegue definindo e caracterizando também os fantasmas japoneses. No segundo capítulo, tratamos de Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), peça de kabuki escrita por Tsuruya Nanboku IV, a obra fantástica mais adaptada do Japão. Através dela, observamos o terror sobrenatural criado a partir de uma base realista-naturalista e tentamos discutir as mudanças nos papéis desempenhados pelos gêneros e as imbricadas relações entre fato, ficção, religião e folclore. Além disso, apresentamos em detalhes o icônico personagem de Oiwa e também exemplos de como são executados efeitos especiais teatrais conhecidos em japonês como keren. A dissertação se conclui com observações sobre as dificuldades encontradas no estudo de uma cultura estrangeira e a apresentação de questões suscitadas pelo decurso da pesquisa / From the collation and analysis of various pictorial works ( paintings, prints and illustrations from Japan ) and narratives ( Japanese books, short stories, plays, films, animations and comics ) , this study aims to present the variety and the syncretism of the supernatural in Japan, which is not only in the Shinto gods ( kami ), in the Buddhist deities ( bosatsu ), in ghosts ( yûrei ), in folkloric creatures ( yôkai ) and in supernatural phenomena produced by them, but also in the monks, shamans, diviners and in attempts to magically control the direction of things amulets, oracles, festivals, rituals and offerings. The first chapter presents a brief history of research on yokai and also seeks to define them and present their own characteristics. The study goes on also defining and featuring the Japanese ghosts. In the second chapter, we treat of Tôkaido Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV, the most adapted fantastique work of Japan. Through it, we see the supernatural horror created from a realistic-naturalistic base and we try to discuss the changes in roles played by genders and the intertwined relations between fact, fiction, religion and folklore. Furthermore, we present in detail the iconic character of Oiwa and also examples of how theatrical special effects known in Japanese as keren run. The dissertation concludes with observations on the difficulties encountered in the study of a foreign culture and with the presentation of issues raised by the course of the research

A partir do cotejo e da análise de várias obras pictóricas (pinturas, gravuras e ilustrações do Japão) e narrativas (livros, contos, peças de teatro, filmes, animações e quadrinhos japoneses), este trabalho busca apresentar a variedade e o sincretismo do sobrenatural no Japão, que não se encontra somente nos deuses xintoístas (kami), nas divindades budistas (bosatsu), nos fantasmas (yûrei), nas criaturas folclóricas (yôkai) e nos fenômenos sobrenaturais produzidos por estes, mas também nos monges, xamãs, adivinhos e nas tentativas de controlar magicamente o rumo das coisas amuletos, oráculos, festivais, rituais e oferendas. O primeiro capítulo apresenta um breve histórico das pesquisas sobre youkais e também procura defini-los e apresentar suas características próprias. O estudo prossegue definindo e caracterizando também os fantasmas japoneses. No segundo capítulo, tratamos de Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), peça de kabuki escrita por Tsuruya Nanboku IV, a obra fantástica mais adaptada do Japão. Através dela, observamos o terror sobrenatural criado a partir de uma base realista-naturalista e tentamos discutir as mudanças nos papéis desempenhados pelos gêneros e as imbricadas relações entre fato, ficção, religião e folclore. Além disso, apresentamos em detalhes o icônico personagem de Oiwa e também exemplos de como são executados efeitos especiais teatrais conhecidos em japonês como keren. A dissertação se conclui com observações sobre as dificuldades encontradas no estudo de uma cultura estrangeira e a apresentação de questões suscitadas pelo decurso da pesquisa / From the collation and analysis of various pictorial works ( paintings, prints and illustrations from Japan ) and narratives ( Japanese books, short stories, plays, films, animations and comics ) , this study aims to present the variety and the syncretism of the supernatural in Japan, which is not only in the Shinto gods ( kami ), in the Buddhist deities ( bosatsu ), in ghosts ( yûrei ), in folkloric creatures ( yôkai ) and in supernatural phenomena produced by them, but also in the monks, shamans, diviners and in attempts to magically control the direction of things amulets, oracles, festivals, rituals and offerings. The first chapter presents a brief history of research on yokai and also seeks to define them and present their own characteristics. The study goes on also defining and featuring the Japanese ghosts. In the second chapter, we treat of Tôkaido Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV, the most adapted fantastique work of Japan. Through it, we see the supernatural horror created from a realistic-naturalistic base and we try to discuss the changes in roles played by genders and the intertwined relations between fact, fiction, religion and folklore. Furthermore, we present in detail the iconic character of Oiwa and also examples of how theatrical special effects known in Japanese as keren run. The dissertation concludes with observations on the difficulties encountered in the study of a foreign culture and with the presentation of issues raised by the course of the research

The thesis will explore the idea of feeling Japanese spirituality of Shinto through a contemporary work of art, the animated film My Neighbour Totoro (1988). The idea of a felt spirituality revolves around Shinto’s notion of kami, divine entities whose existence becomes manifest through one’s feeling and perception to awe-inspiring things of the natural world and the aesthetic notion of aware, an immediate felt emotional response that coincides as the response/reaction when coming into contact with awe-inspiring things. This thesis conceives aware to be the meeting point in which the human and kami world converge, a Shinto concept known as shinjin-g itsu, or the meeting of the human spirit with kami. This thesis will uncover themes of Shinto spirituality through a close reading of the functionality of specific components of the film: music, setting, characters, character interactions, and symbolism. Themes such as nature, community, symbolism and the role of aesthetics within the film will be discussed to showcase the idea of a spiritual encounter. It is a spiritual encounter/meeting that is facilitated through the aesthetics and components of the film which elicits a response of aware from the viewer. / Graduate / 0322 / 0332 / 0900 / scarbul@gmail.com

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This essay is about the religious change that Jing-cult underwent 600-1500 A.D. It is a historical-critical essay based on literature studies, using Håkan Rydving’s theory of religious change. In chronological order, it will go through the religious change from ancient Japan to the late Muromachi-period when Shinto was created. It describes the early temple- cult, buddhism's mission to Japan and how the Jingikan was created. Further, it addresses the changes that occurred with the immigration from Korea and the consequences involved in the creation of the great temple-shrine complex in which Shinto and buddhism fused. Finally, it tells how the theological thinking of Japanese buddhism and the Jingi-cult changed and created Shinto. The essay has the main focus on the Kami-tradition, the shrine-tradition and the study of Shinto. The essay discusses the changes that occurred in the end and draw conclusions about why they occurred. The conclusion reached is that buddhism has had a great influence and changed the Jingi-cult most. In history there has come about akultration between buddhism and the Jingi-cult that eventually resulted in the creation of Shinto.

<p>Västerländsk litteratur som behandlar asiatiska religioner använder ofta västerländska begrepp för att beskriva religiösa objekt och företeelser. Emellertid överensstämmer inte alltid översättningen med den inhemska innebörden av begreppet. Ett exempel på detta är det japanska konceptet kami, som felaktigt översätts med västerländska begrepp som ”gudomar” och ”andar”. Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera kamibegreppets semantiska spektrum i en specifik inhemsk religiös textsamling. Boken som valdes för detta ändamål är Sir Ernest Satows översättning av ritualtexter från Yeñgishiki ’Ceremoniella lagen’ som härstammar från 800-talet. Ett vidare syfte med uppsatsen är att påvisa att kamikonceptet innehåller mer än vad som inryms i de västerländska begreppen ”gudomar” och ”andar”. Slutsatsen är att kamikonceptet inte kan tolkas som ”gudomar” eller ”andar” då det innefattar allt som inger vördnad och inspiration hos människan. Detta gör att begreppet kami inte kan översättas till västerländska termer.</p>

Västerländsk litteratur som behandlar asiatiska religioner använder ofta västerländska begrepp för att beskriva religiösa objekt och företeelser. Emellertid överensstämmer inte alltid översättningen med den inhemska innebörden av begreppet. Ett exempel på detta är det japanska konceptet kami, som felaktigt översätts med västerländska begrepp som ”gudomar” och ”andar”. Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera kamibegreppets semantiska spektrum i en specifik inhemsk religiös textsamling. Boken som valdes för detta ändamål är Sir Ernest Satows översättning av ritualtexter från Yeñgishiki ’Ceremoniella lagen’ som härstammar från 800-talet. Ett vidare syfte med uppsatsen är att påvisa att kamikonceptet innehåller mer än vad som inryms i de västerländska begreppen ”gudomar” och ”andar”. Slutsatsen är att kamikonceptet inte kan tolkas som ”gudomar” eller ”andar” då det innefattar allt som inger vördnad och inspiration hos människan. Detta gör att begreppet kami inte kan översättas till västerländska termer.

This thesis examines the ways in which popular culture reveals, and shapes, religious thinking in contemporary Japan. Through an investigation of popular culture including animated films (anime) and graphic novels (manga), and the cultural processes related to their production and consumption, it explores how and why popular culture in Japan is acting as a repository for ideas and images relating to religion, the supernatural, and the human and non-human agents who mediate them. Popular culture is important not only for the ways it discloses contemporaneous cultural trends, but because it acts in dialogic tension with them. In Japan, where society has grown increasingly secularized since at least the middle of the twentieth century, an overwhelming majority of citizens consider themselves non-religious. Surveys have consistently indicated that only a small percentage of respondents identify as actively Shintō, Buddhist, Christian or some other religious affiliation. At the same time, depictions of religious images and themes have grown exponentially in popular culture such that a recent internet search on “anime” plus “kami” (a Shintō deity) produced an astounding 20,100,000 hits. Clearly, religion continues to play a crucial role in the popular imagination. This juncture of popular culture and personal religious identity in contemporary Japan raises a number of questions discussed in the following chapters. What benefits do consumers derive from the treatment of religious themes in anime and manga? What do depictions of religion in popular media indicate about the construction of religious identity in Japan? Why the disparity between religious identification survey results and cultural consumption of religious themes and images? In short, what are the ways in which popular culture in Japan reveals ideas about religion and the supernatural, and in what ways does popular culture actively shape those conceptions? / text

This study discloses Shinto’s experiential and existential significance and aims to articulate Shinto’s sacred objective. It shows that Shinto, by way of experience, communicates being in the world with nature and with others as a sacred objective. This suggests that Shinto, in communicating its objective, appeals to the emotions more so than to the intellect; and that Shinto’s sacred objective does not transcend the natural world of both nature and everyday affairs. This study pursues this goal by showing the experiential and existential dimensions of the three primary features of Shinto: it shows how kami (or kami-ness) is thought of as an awe producing quality of being/s that are mostly associated with the natural world; how Shinto shrines’ aesthetics and atmosphere are thought to evoke a feeling of the natural world’s sacredness; and how festivals are thought to be ecstatic and effervescent occasions that regenerate an affirmation of being in the world with others. Though this study does not employ a strict methodological approach—insofar as the conclusions herein are based primarily on literature review—it was motivated by an existential outlook on the study of religion and assumes that the term “religion” refers primarily to an existential phenomenon that pertains not necessarily to socio-historical institutions but to a way of being in the world.

<p>Genom att använda folktro och religion skapade den Japanska regimen under två eror, Meji och Showa, ett instrument för att tygla folket och ge obehindrad makt till toppskiktet i samhället. Man underströk kejsarfamiljens gudomliga arv som släkting till dem mäktigaste kamin i gudavärlden solgudinnan Amaterasu. Som släkting till henne var han att betrakta som gud och fick aldrig ifrågasättas. Det Japanska folket var inte heller vilket folk som helst utan ett härskarfolk som även det hade gudomlig härkomst. När folket sedan genom mängder av propaganda från skolväsendet upp igenom hela samhället indoktrinerats om sin och kejsarens överhöghet var det dags att visa resten av världen sin gudomlighet. Genom att besegra sina fiender i krig blev övertygelsen än större på hemmafronten och Kokka Shinto tycktes mer och mer sitta inne med sanningen. Japan var riktigt nära att slå ut den amerikanska flottan under andra världskriget, men en serie förluster satte stopp för framgångarna och Japan besegrades. Den amerikanska ockupationsmakten identifierade Kokka Shinto som skyldig till aggressionerna på samma sätt som nazismen var för Tyskland.</p><p>Kokka Shinto hjälpte till att göra Japan till en fascistisk stat precis som syftet var med den. Från början av Mejirestorationen till slutet av Andra Världskriget var Kokka Shinto en framgångssaga för ultranationalisterna men de allierades seger krossades Statsshinto. Det finns dock kvarlämningar av Statsshinto i Japan och när en Japansk premiärminister kan besöka Yasukuni-templet utan att tvingas avgå visar landet att man ännu har en bit att vandra innan man helt har kastat av sig sitt nationalistiska och fascistiska ok.</p><p>Slutsatsen blir därför att jag inte anser att Kokka Shinto är en religion utan snarare mäktiga mäns sluga utnyttjande av folktro och vidskeplighet i syfte att ta över ett land. Kokka Shinto är en veritabel våldtäkt på en legitim religion men genom att använda samma mytologi och historia köper man sig legitimitet. Man måste som utomstående vara mycket distinkt i att skilja på Shinto och Kokka Shinto ungefär på samma sätt som man skiljer på Socialism från Nationalsocialism. Fram till 1868 var Shinto en mycket tolerant religion och efter 1945 är det så återigen, det finns dock ett nationellt tema i Shinto som onda krafter kan utnyttja.</p>