Group III
Dissemination of Information on Shinto andJapanese Culture and Research on the Current
State of Shinto
Inoue Nobutaka
The goal of Group III is to implement the Establishment of a National

Learning Institute for the Dissemination of Research on Shinto and Japanese Culture
program from a contemporary perspective. In other words, we are advancing researchon the current state of Shinto and Japanese culture and formulating concrete methods
for disseminating this research abroad.
In order to accomplish these goals, we are collecting and analyzing materials
and data relating to the current state of Shinto and Japanese culture, carrying outfieldwork, and also holding international symposiums. We intend to translate thefindings of our research into English, and make these findings available online and inother forms of media. We hope that this will facilitate the international dissemination ofour work. Specifically, we are involved in the following research projects:
1. Holding a series of international symposiums on Shinto and Japanese culture
designed to promote the construction of an international research network forJapanese culture, with a specific emphasis on Shinto. We are also publishing
symposium proceedings so that our work can be made known to the public.
2. Publishing an English translation of the Shintō jiten (originally published fromKobundo) under the name Encyclopedia of Shinto, and making it available to thepublic via the Internet and on CD-ROM. By translating this comprehensive Shinto
encyclopedia into English, we are striving to facilitate the development of Shinto
Studies both domestically and abroad. The Encyclopedia of Shinto translation
project was funded through the COE program in 2002. In 2003 we also received
additional funding as part of Kokugakuin University’s COE financial assistanceprogram.
3. Analyzing the findings of surveys concerning religion, carrying out original survey
projects, and publishing the findings.

4. Collecting and analyzing a wide variety of materials and data on active Japanesereligious organizations, with a specific emphasis on Shinto-based denominations.
Findings are being published as academic papers.
The following is a more in-depth explanation of each one of these research projects:.
Our first international symposium was held on March 15-16, 2003 at theKokugakuin Centennial Hall and dealt with the question of “Shinto Research Abroad.”
Professor Jan Van Bremen of Leiden University (Holland), Professor Helen Hardacre ofHarvard University (USA), Professor Francois Mace of the Institut National desLangues et Civilisations Orientales (France), Professor Lee Wonbum of Dongseo
University (Korea), and Professor Bernard Scheid of the Austrian Academy of Sciences(Austria) were the invited participants. Professor Sakurai Haruo of Kōgakkan
University, Professor Seki Kazutoshi of Kyushu University, Professor Tajima Tadaatsuof Tenshi College, Professor Tsushima Michihito of Kansai Gakuin University, andProfessor Hayashi Makoto of Aichi Gakuin University were invited Japaneseparticipants. Members from our research group also participated in this two-daysymposium.
On March 20-21, 2003 we held a symposium addressing “Problems inTranslating Shinto.” This symposium dealt with the problems and difficulties intranslating specialized Shinto terms and concepts. The symposium was held in thesame location as the first symposium. Associate Professor John Bentley of Northern
Illinois University (USA), Associate Professor Mark McNally of the University ofHawaii (USA), Associate Professor Ann Wehmeyer of the University of Florida (USA),and Professor Francois Mace of the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations
Orientales (France), and Professor No Song Hwan of the University of Ulsan (Korea)
were invited to participate. Professor Helen Hardacre of Harvard University (USA)
acted a commentator. Panel chairs included Professor Nakamaki Hirochika of theNational Museum of Ethnology (session on Shinto classics, Professor Kate Wildman
Nakai of Sophia University (session on (National Learning), and Inoue Nobutaka ofKokugakuin University (Summary).
Both symposiums were conducted in Japanese, with the intent of increasing
interaction with and effectively creating an international network with non-Japanesescholars who are proficient in Japanese and carrying out advanced research on Shintoand Japanese culture. Furthermore, we are not only focusing on recent studies of Shinto

and Japanese culture being undertaken in the West, but are also taking into
consideration similar research being done in East Asian countries as well. Professors
Inoue, Kurosaki, and Havens are the main parties involved in this research.
2. The Shintō jiten (Encyclopedia of Shinto) was first published by Kōbundō in 1993
under the editorial supervision of Kokugakuin’s Institute for Japanese Culture andClassics. By translating this encyclopedia-- the first comprehensive Shinto encyclopediapublished in the post-war period--into English, we hope to improve domestic andinternational on Shinto. We currently plan for the entire translation process to take atotal of two years. Folllowing a subsequent editorial period, we intend to make theEncyclopedia available online and in CD-ROM format. We also intend to include a large
amount of new digital graphics data and to incorporate the most up-to-date researchfindings in the English version of the Encyclopedia. We hope that this work will
generate a great deal of interest among scholars abroad. This project was funded by theCOE program budget in 2002. In 2003 we also received additional funding from
Kokugakuin University. This additional funding has been of particular importance incarrying out our research. Professors Inoue, Kurosaki, and Havens are the main
researchers involved in this project.
3. Creating, implementing, and analyzing highly detailed surveys designed to better
understand current Japanese attitudes towards religion. Few surveys currently exist
dealing with Japanese attitudes on religion. However, a recently completed
seven-year-long survey that was part of a collaborative effort between the Japanese
Association for Study of Religion and Society and Kokugakuin’s Institute for Japanese
Culture and Classics has provided particularly fruitful data. We intend to make use ofthis data, carry out further analysis, and, as a means of making our work known abroad,
publish our findings in English. We also intend to create unique surveys, whose actual
implementation will be entrusted to survey specialists, with categories for highly
specific data, allowing us to obtain results that are not usually found in general surveys
by newspapers and other media organizations. Professors Inoue and Ishii are primarily
responsible for this research.
4. In order to better understand the current state of sect Shinto and Shinto-based New
Religions, we are collecting specific information and data and carrying out fieldwork onthese groups. There is currently a lack of reliable data on sect Shinto and Shinto
denominations. One reason for this lack of information is that there are, comparatively

speaking, relatively few researchers working in this area. Accordingly, one of the goals
in carrying out this research is to help train young scholars working in this field.
Professor Inoue is primarily responsible for this research.
All of the above-mentioned research projects are closely linked with other projects at
Kokugakuin’s Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics. This institute is composed ofcomprehensive (inter-group) research projects, specialized individual projects, and otherresearch projects. Although our researchers have been translating the Encyclopedia ofShinto, researching on sect Shinto, and publishing our research findings via theInternet for some time, we have recently included other Kokugakuin faculty members,
faculty of other universities, and cooperative research members into our projects. Thishas helped to create a highly functional research system.
Furthermore, in order to maintain a close relationship with Group I, Professor Ogawa
Naoyuki is also involved in our group. In carrying out this COE program, we havereceived a great deal of consideration from the members of other research groups. This
has allowed for a more effective research system at the Institute for Japanese Cultureand Classics.