Pilgrimages in the secular age
Subtitle: from El Camino to anime
By: Okamoto Ryosuke ; translated by Iwabuchi Deborah, Enda Kazuko
Contributors: Iwabuchi, Deborah Stuhr, translator; Enda, Kazuko, translator
Edition: First English edition.
Series: Japan Library; Japan library (Shuppan Bunka Sangyō Shinkō Zaidan)
Publisher: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture
Published: 2019
Place of publication: Tokyo, Japan
Language: eng
Number of pages: 175
ISBN-13: 9784866580647
Subjects: Tourism; Religious aspects; Pilgrims and pilgrimages; Popular culture; Social aspects
Work titles: Seichi junrei
Description: Religion and tourism seem to be an unlikely pair, but taking a look at these two human behaviors provides insight into twenty-first century society. In the past, holy sites were of immense importance to those who followed a particular religion, and these places used to attract many faithful pilgrims. These days, however, people without faith visit holy places simply to experience something out of the ordinary. Furthermore, many places without any connection to religion are being called "sacred" and attracting people's interest. What really drives people there, and what do people want to gain from the experience? In this book, the author discusses various pilgrimages in order to shed light on new types of religious views and faiths that have come into being in the twenty-first century. The book explores the Santiago pilgrimage in Spain; the eighty-eight temple pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan; B-grade tourist spots; so-called "power spots"; sacred anime sites; and more. Through examining these places and the people who visit them, the author discovers that in this secular age, holy places are no longer supported by religions and doctrines alone. The interchanges between a place and its community of people are what make a place holy - people are placing more importance on the shared image and experience expected to be had there.--adapted from publisher's description.
Notes: Originally published in Japan by Chūōkōron Shinsha, 2015.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 168-175).

Translated from the Japanese.
Table of contents: title: The background to modern religious pilgrimages; title: Looking for holy things : what do pilgrims see?; title: From the goal to the process : non-believer pilgrims keep on walking; title: World heritage sites and holy places : discriminating between religious cultures; title: Making a sacred spot : how authenticity is born of a sham; title: My own private sacred site : power spots and diversity of prayer; title: Modern society and pilgrimages.