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Key Issues in Asian Studies slide deck of activities.

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Produced by NCTA site.
Must register to watch.
Two webinars feature the YouTube speaker Ann Maire shared during her 2022 Seminar "Spirited Away" lecture.

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Please e-mail fcceas@fivecolleges.edu with the webinar title/s and presenter name/s.

All About Korea, Presenter: Ann Martin Bowler, author

The Art of Taiwanese Puppet Theater, Presenter: Dr. Robin Erik Ruizendaal, director, Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theater Museum

Background for the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Chronology, Presenter: John Frank, Center Grove High School

Buddhism Along the Silk Road, Presenter: Richard Taupier, UMass Amherst

Chinese Characters and the Stories They Tell, Presenter: Megan Ferry, Union College

Cultural Encounters: Teaching Japan in World History, Presenter: Catherine Higbee Ishida, University of Colorado Boulder and Catherine Mein, Ballard High School

Culture Day in Japan: Living National Treasures & Tangible Cultural Properties, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center of East Asian Studies

The Culture of Genji, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

DISTANT VOICES: 19th Century American Diplomats, Missionaries, and Adventurers in East Asia, Presenter: John Frank

Education in South Korea, Presenter: Soo Kim, Smith College

Elementary School Life in Japan, Presenter: Willamarie Moore, Musum of Fine Arts Boston

Footbinding in China, Presenter: Professor Paola Zamperini, Amherst College

Getting a Hold on Contemporary Chinese Cities, Presenter: Kristin Stapleton, University at Buffalo, SUNY

The Great Wave of Hokusai and the Great Wave of 3-11: Japanese Artists' Responses to Nature, Presenter: Willamarie Moore, Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The Impact of the 3/11 Triple Disaster on Folk Arts in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, Presenter: Emily Mukai

Introduction to the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Japanese Aesthetics: from Ma to Kata, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Japanese Tea Ceremony, Presenter: Yuko Eguchi, University of Pittsburgh

Japan's Textbook Controversy, Presenter: Ethan I. Segal, Michigan State University

Korean Reunification: Party of Six? Your Table is Ready, Presenter: Mark Patterson, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School

Korean Reunification: A Bitter Taste of Paradise, Presenter: Jacques Fuqua, Auburn University Montgomery

Korean Samulnori, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Life in Shikoku: Noodles, Pilgrimage, and More, Presenter: Midori Tagawa, The Williston Northampton School

Musical Geography of Japan, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

October 10 in Taiwan and Japan, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Okinawa, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five Colelge Center for East Asian Studies

O-Shogatsu: Japanese New Year's Traditions Explained, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Other Voices in Japan: South Asia, Presenter: Abida Adnan, Smith College

Out of the Shadows: The Ainu of Japan, Presenter: Justin Hunter, University of Hawaii

Pacifism in Japan: Kagawa Toyohiko, Presenter: Tom Hastings, Japan ICU Foundation

Playing in Japan: An Introduction to Noh, Kabuki and Bunraku, Presenter: Mariko Anno, Tokyo University of the Arts

Rikuzentakata Two Years Later: An Update from the Field after the 3/11 Disaster, Presenter: Amya Miller

Sakura in Japanese Culture, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Samurai Monogatari: An Illustrated Tale of the Samurai, Presenter: Willamarie More, Museum of Fine Arts Boston

A Summary of Mongolian History and Culture, Presenter: Richard Taupier, UMass Amherst

Teaching about March 11 and Japan's Recovery, Presenter: Kerianne Panos, MCMLConsulting and Robert Fish, Japan Society

Through Children's Eyes: Hiroshima, Presenter: Willamarie Moore, Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Yokohama Yankee: A Conversation with author Leslie Helm, Presenter: Leslie Helm, author

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Please e-mail fcceas@fivecolleges.edu with the webinar title/s and presenter name/s.

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Living in the Chinese Cosmos | Asia for Educators

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Huston Cummings Smith (born May 31, 1919) is among the preeminent religious studies scholars in the United States. His work, The Religions of Man (later revised and retitled The World's Religions), is a classic in the field, with over two million copies sold, and it remains a common introduction to comparative religion.

Smith was born in Soochow, China, to Methodist missionaries and spent his first 17 years there. He taught at the Universities of Colorado and Denver from 1944 to 1947, moved to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, for the next 10 years, and then served as professor of Philosophy at MIT from 1958 to 1973. While at MIT, he participated in some of the experiments with entheogens that professor Timothy Leary conducted at Harvard University. Smith then moved to Syracuse University, where he was Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Philosophy until his retirement in 1983 and current emeritus status. He now lives in the Berkeley, California, area where he is Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

During his career, Smith not only studied but also practiced Vedanta Hinduism, Zen Buddhism (under Goto Zuigan), and Sufism for over 10 years each. He is a notable autodidact.

As a young man, of his own volition after suddenly turning to mysticism, Smith set out to meet with then-famous author Gerald Heard. Heard responded to Smith's letter, invited him to Trabuco College (later donated as the Ramakrishna Monastery) in Southern California, and then sent him off to meet the legendary Aldous Huxley. So began Smith's experimentation with meditation and his association with the Vedanta Society in Saint Louis under the auspices of Swami Satprakashananda of the Ramakrishna order.

Via the connection with Heard and Huxley, Smith eventually experimented with Timothy Leary and others at the Center for Personality Research, of which Leary was research professor. The experience and history of that era are captured somewhat in Smith's book Cleansing the Doors of Perception. In this period, Smith joined in on the Harvard Project as well, in an attempt to raise spiritual awareness through entheogenic plants.

He has been a friend of the XIVth Dalai Lama for more than 40 years, and has met and talked to some of the great figures of the century, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Thomas Merton.

Smith developed an interest in the Traditionalist School formulated by Rene Guenon and Ananda Coomaraswamy. This interest has become a continuing thread in all his writings.

In 1996 Bill Moyers devoted a five-part PBS special to Smith's life and work: The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith. Smith has also produced three series for public television: The Religions of Man, The Search for America, and (with Arthur Compton) Science and Human Responsibility.

His films on Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Sufism have all won awards at international film festivals. His latest DVD release is The Roots of Fundamentalism—A Conversation with Huston Smith and Phil Cousineau.

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The World’s Religions (Plus) [Smith, Huston] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The World’s Religions (Plus)

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China's Three Teachings: Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism

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China's Three Teachings: Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism

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Due to its impressive length and extensive documentation, China's history presents many challenges for high school teachers. We know that all periods and cultural characteristics of China's historical record cannot be covered; so what should we emphasize? Typically, we may have, at most, one month in which to explore the essence of Chinese culture. This often occurs in a course where students focus briefly on numerous widely disparate cultures. No matter how much time is available, however, we undoubtedly attempt to uncover the essential characteristics of Chinese religion. In this specific area there are numerous difficulties, many of them related to the fact that our students are primarily familiar with monotheistic cultures where there is a belief in one god supported by a clearly defined doctrine. Chinese religion presents quite a contrast.

DIANA MARSTON WOOD is an Instructor at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

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Chinese Religion: Ideas for Effective Instruction at the High School Level - Association for Asian Studies

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Due to its impressive length and extensive documentation, China's history presents many challenges for high school teachers. We know that all periods and cultural characteristics of China's historical record cannot be covered; so what should we emphasize? Typically, we may have, at most, one month in which to explore the essence of Chinese culture.

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Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified

LibraryThing Review

User Review - teckelvik - LibraryThing

This is intended as a general introduction for non-specialists. I very much enjoyed it. It's structured as an overview, with each general theme getting its own chapter. The notes on the myths give the ... Read full review

LibraryThing Review

User Review - the.ken.petersen - LibraryThing

Three and a half stars is perhaps a bit mean on this book. It loses a star because so many of the illustrations are in black and white but, when you consider that it was printed in 1968, it should ... Read full review

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Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified LibraryThing Review User Review - teckelvik - LibraryThing This is intended as a general introduction for non-specialists. I very much enjoyed it. It's structured as an overview, with each general theme getting its own chapter.

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Top review from the United States

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Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2007

This book is based around the idea that A. A. Milne's stories of Winnie-The-Pooh can be used to illustrate the basic notions of Taoism. Hoff is not by any means arguing that Milne was a Taoist. He is merely saying that Milne's inner attitude to life, as revealed by the stories, intuitively follow along the same path as Taoism. Owl is wise, Rabbit is cleaver and Eeore is smugly superior but the real hero of the books is Pooh, the apparently stupid yet strangely successful and able bear.
The book covers the Taoist principles of:

Tao, or the indescribable Way of the universe,
P'u, or natural simplicity, the Uncarved Block,
Inner Nature, being those things that make us exactly who we are,
Wu Wei, or proceeding without doing, causing, or making,
Tzu Jan, or 'self so', meaning that things happen by themselves, spontaneously,
Tz'u, or caring and compassion, and,
T'ai Hsu, or the Great Nothing.

Along the way we learn the pitfalls of being too busy and the benefits of doing nothing (for example meditation and contemplation). Having read this I now try to arrange my day so that I can spend half an hour a day in my garden with my cat just doing nothing but observing nature and thinking the thoughts that come to mind. I recommend it to everyone.

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The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (1981-04-30)

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The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (1981-04-30) on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (1981-04-30)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Nice
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2020

5 star

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

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Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2021

A short, concise autobiography about German professor and would-be mystic Eugen Herrigel who travels to Japan and takes up Japanese Archery in a quest to understand Zen. The good thing about this book is that it is short and sweet and communicates Zen simply. But I'm very skeptical as to whether some of the events in this book took place as written. Herrigal seemed to have no trouble casually moving to Japan for five years; or understanding extremely vague and complex Buddhist ideas through conversation with his Master (who must have spoken remarkably good German?); and in one passage the Master's abilities seem superhuman. Did all of this really happen? If so, perhaps 80-ish pages is too short, actually.
The legacy of this book is tainted by the fact that Herrigel was a staunch supporter of the Nazi Party. How can a mind that has been liberated by Zen also subscribe to the Nazi ideology? The two seem incompatible--in fact, any concrete ideology seems incompatible with Zen. Is this really just a book on muscle memory and repetition after all?

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2005

My martial arts instructor has many books that he allows his students to take out. Some of them he recommends, others he recommends quite strongly. ZEN IN THE ART OF ARCHERY, however, is the only book which he actually handed out to every member of the advanced class. Clearly there is something he wants us to know.
The book revolves around Herrigel's attempt to understand Zen through the practice of kyudo (Japanese archery). Although I am no expert in either Zen or kyudo, I think he does a pretty good job. The concepts that Herrigel communicates to the reader are extremely esoteric and I found them easy to grasp through this slim volume. However, reading the book solely as a story about one person's search for Zen is to read the book far too narrowly.

The concepts that Herrigel addresses are universal concepts. They are not strictly religious (Zen), martial (kyudo) or even Asian (Japanese). Any substantial activity, be it learning kyudo, becoming a chess grandmaster or practicing to become a classical pianist, requires one to reach beyond psychological and internal barriers. This is what should be taken from this book.

During Herrigel's study, he focused not on the target, but on himself as the archer. The struggle was both an internal one, including physical aspects such as breathing properly and relaxing, as well as a refocusing of his mind, such as NOT focusing on the ultimate destination of the arrows he was shooting. The transcendence was within Herrigel himself.

This lesson is applicable to numerous situations across cultures and across activities. ZEN IN THE ART OF ARCHERY provides a good example of this phenomenon but not the only possible example. Read more broadly, this book provides anyone undertaking a long and arduous activity a simple framework for reaching beyond those plateaus that we all frustratingly find ourselves on from time to time. I recommend it on that basis.

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2016

I started learning karate at the very late age of 59, and during a visit to attend in July 2016, a Budosai in Naha , I came in contact with Kyudo....the beauty , elegance , and refinement attracted my immediate attention....something unnamed open in me...and I knew...this is a path I would walk for the rest of my life.
Sakiyama Sensei, 72 years old and teaching for more than 50 years introduced me with a set of some 10 lessons over a three week period, which ended in shooting to the target....my life will never be the same
I secured all my requirements in Tokyo , and returned home in August, to our sleepy seaside village...Hermanus, some 2 hours east of Cape Town
I immediately constructed a shooting range at my home, where I also have my small private karate Dojo
Once one embarks on a journey, doors open, and I was introduced to a young teacher in far away Johannesburg,
I spend 3 days with my new teacher, a remarkable young man, 4DAN , and a most beautiful Kyudo Dojo
I study hard, read everything I lay my hands on, which included this very important work on Zen and Archery...indispensable insight
I train daily, karate, Kubudo and now Kyudo....this is true retirement.

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2014

You can read books five times the size of this one and not learn nearly as much about the true nature of Zen. Westerners have a habit of "bending" the true nature of Zen into a format and set of words that their reading audiences can read and understand. But it isn't really Zen. This book fits into your cargo pocket, your backpack, and your life easily.

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2021

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2014

If you are interested in eastern thought and experience, this book is an excellent start for your path of learning. It is an easy and quick read, written by an European that experienced what he writes about. So you get a first hand, personal experience on the path of enlightenment from Professor Herrigel.

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2013

The spiritual is clarified by physical practice, and vice versa. This is very hard for Westerners to understand, but it is revealed in Professor Herrigel's trials in learning Kudo. The end result for Herrigel was that one of the most esoteric martial arts became intuitive, I have never read a book which makes this point as clearly. This book should be required reading for Western students of esoteric Asian arts.

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2021

I’m a few months late writing my review but I really enjoyed this book over March break and just came back to quickly re-read it before giving my 5 stars, it’s a great read on the concepts of zen and Herrigel’s experiences. Another reviewer said they’re version was missing D.T. Suzuki’s introduction but, my copy most definitely has it both inside and clearly noted on the cover. I’d drop a star for the tiny tear in the spine my copy came with but, it looks good on the shelf and reads well during a thunderstorm.

Top reviews from other countries

4.0 out of 5 stars achieving a state of Zen to master archery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2016

This is a short yet interesting book, that offers guidance concerning archery from the perspective of Zen Buddhism. The underlying premise of this book is that the central principles of Buddhism can assist with the practice of archery. What are these principles? Well, offering a simplified overview, one might say that through the rejection of material things so clarity of focus may be attained. Applied to archery, this involves meditation and self-control - striving to be fully aware of one's surroundings and one's goals - which, in this case, involves the drawing of the bow string, the aiming of the arrow, and the hitting of the target. By way of achieving a state of 'zen' (total focus) so archery may be mastered.
This is, more than anything else, a philosophical introduction into the ideas of practicing Zen ... and archery is the example offered, so as to demonstrate such practice. If you're after a thorough guide to archery, look elsewhere (e.g.
Archery: The Art of Repetition ). But if you're looking for a short guide to aspects of Buddhism, this is a good book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read but too wordy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2014

After an interlude, I decided to return to target sports and am looking to return to something like my previous standards. At a coaching course recently, it was suggested that current thinking was being influenced by Japanese archery in various ways and three books were recommended. I bought all three and am working through them as and when I can; all three are easy to read and the principles are straightforward enough most of the time so the books have been worth the money. This one though, feels rather too wordy - the key points I wanted could be condensed into a very short book indeed. Unless you're into target sports though, I can't imagine why you would want to read books like this unless there are some esoteric reasons I've missed.

4.0 out of 5 stars A lesson for all

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2018

Anyone who wishes to improve a skill, craft or way of living will benefit from this short book. Archery is a metaphor. The outlined method of teaching Archery is applicable to all things. Knowing the technical aspects is not enough. Feeling the process and becoming as one to the complete procedure is essential.

4.0 out of 5 stars More Zen than archery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2021

Fascinating insight Into how spiritualism and self are essential in any martial art. A European detailing his study of archery with a Japanese master. There is logic in amongst the Buddhist enigmatism

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2017

A reasonably quick read but with incredible information and insight. The book has really made me want to look into Zen a lot more. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interesting in Zen and anyone interesting in improve any kind of practise.

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Zen in the Art of Archery [Eugen Herrigel, R. F. C. Hull, Daisetz T. Suzuki] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Zen in the Art of Archery

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This is pretty predictable and covers only the more well-known myths without going very deeply into the culture. However, if a reader knows nothing and wants a good introduction to this aspect of Japanese culture, this is a good place to start. Unlike China and a few other cultures who have worked hard to banish all of the past, the Japanese have kept their ancient culture alive in the modern day.

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Japanese Mythology. [PIGGOTT, Juliet.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Japanese Mythology.

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Who was Confucius? - Bryan W. Van Norden

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[Excerpt from the Analects of Confucius]

Confucius said: "Having only coarse food to eat, plain water to drink, and a bent arm for a pillow, one can still find happiness therein. Riches and honor acquired by unrighteous means are to me as drifting clouds."

Robert Oxnam :: Anyone seeking to understand the Chinese tradition inevitably meets with the term "Confucian." And when people today talk about the rapid economic rise of East Asian nations, from Singapore to Japan and Korea, they refer to the "Confucian tradition." What is this tradition? To learn more about it, we must begin with the man, Confucius - a man committed to improving the human condition - and the times in which he lived.

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Asian Topics on Asia for Educators || Confucian Teaching

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Excerpt from the Analects of Confucius] Confucius said: "Having only coarse food to eat, plain water to drink, and a bent arm for a pillow, one can still find happiness therein. Riches and honor acquired by unrighteous means are to me as drifting clouds."

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Daruma

Included in Daily Life box

Description: The word Daruma was derived from the Sanskrit word "dharma." This term was originally used for dolls that were shaped in the image of Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism, performing zazen meditation. Zazen posture typically involves folding one's legs underneath themselves while seated. Today, daruma are thought of as various sized dolls made out of paper mache. The doll is said to bring good luck to its owner, as it is designed to return to its original position even after being knocked over. Traditionally, dolls are purchased without the eyes painted, and the owner will paint in the left eye of the doll as he/she makes a personal goal. Once the goal has been achieved, the owner will then paint in the right eye.
For more information, visit:http://web-japan.org/atlas/crafts/cra05.html

Standard Reference
(If you know of another standard that may link to this item, please add it to the comment box below.)

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Included in Daily Life box Description: The word Daruma was derived from the Sanskrit word "dharma." This term was originally used for dolls that were shaped in the image of Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism, performing zazen meditation. Zazen posture typically involves folding one's legs underneath themselves while seated.

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Lectures on Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, others

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Lectures on Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, others

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Please e-mail fcceas@fivecolleges.edu with the webinar title/s and presenter name/s.

All About Korea, Presenter: Ann Martin Bowler, author

The Art of Taiwanese Puppet Theater, Presenter: Dr. Robin Erik Ruizendaal, director, Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theater Museum

Background for the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Chronology, Presenter: John Frank, Center Grove High School

Buddhism Along the Silk Road, Presenter: Richard Taupier, UMass Amherst

Chinese Characters and the Stories They Tell, Presenter: Megan Ferry, Union College

Cultural Encounters: Teaching Japan in World History, Presenter: Catherine Higbee Ishida, University of Colorado Boulder and Catherine Mein, Ballard High School

Culture Day in Japan: Living National Treasures & Tangible Cultural Properties, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center of East Asian Studies

The Culture of Genji, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

DISTANT VOICES: 19th Century American Diplomats, Missionaries, and Adventurers in East Asia, Presenter: John Frank

Education in South Korea, Presenter: Soo Kim, Smith College

Elementary School Life in Japan, Presenter: Willamarie Moore, Musum of Fine Arts Boston

Footbinding in China, Presenter: Professor Paola Zamperini, Amherst College

Getting a Hold on Contemporary Chinese Cities, Presenter: Kristin Stapleton, University at Buffalo, SUNY

The Great Wave of Hokusai and the Great Wave of 3-11: Japanese Artists' Responses to Nature, Presenter: Willamarie Moore, Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The Impact of the 3/11 Triple Disaster on Folk Arts in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, Presenter: Emily Mukai

Introduction to the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Japanese Aesthetics: from Ma to Kata, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Japanese Tea Ceremony, Presenter: Yuko Eguchi, University of Pittsburgh

Japan's Textbook Controversy, Presenter: Ethan I. Segal, Michigan State University

Korean Reunification: Party of Six? Your Table is Ready, Presenter: Mark Patterson, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School

Korean Reunification: A Bitter Taste of Paradise, Presenter: Jacques Fuqua, Auburn University Montgomery

Korean Samulnori, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Life in Shikoku: Noodles, Pilgrimage, and More, Presenter: Midori Tagawa, The Williston Northampton School

Musical Geography of Japan, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

October 10 in Taiwan and Japan, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Okinawa, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five Colelge Center for East Asian Studies

O-Shogatsu: Japanese New Year's Traditions Explained, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Other Voices in Japan: South Asia, Presenter: Abida Adnan, Smith College

Out of the Shadows: The Ainu of Japan, Presenter: Justin Hunter, University of Hawaii

Pacifism in Japan: Kagawa Toyohiko, Presenter: Tom Hastings, Japan ICU Foundation

Playing in Japan: An Introduction to Noh, Kabuki and Bunraku, Presenter: Mariko Anno, Tokyo University of the Arts

Rikuzentakata Two Years Later: An Update from the Field after the 3/11 Disaster, Presenter: Amya Miller

Sakura in Japanese Culture, Presenter: Anne Prescott, Five College Center for East Asian Studies

Samurai Monogatari: An Illustrated Tale of the Samurai, Presenter: Willamarie More, Museum of Fine Arts Boston

A Summary of Mongolian History and Culture, Presenter: Richard Taupier, UMass Amherst

Teaching about March 11 and Japan's Recovery, Presenter: Kerianne Panos, MCMLConsulting and Robert Fish, Japan Society

Through Children's Eyes: Hiroshima, Presenter: Willamarie Moore, Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Yokohama Yankee: A Conversation with author Leslie Helm, Presenter: Leslie Helm, author

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Please e-mail fcceas@fivecolleges.edu with the webinar title/s and presenter name/s.

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Shinto: Exploring Japan's "Way of the Kami"

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Shinto: Exploring Japan's "Way of the Kami"

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Animating Religion: Shinto in Japanese Pop Culture

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Animating Religion: Shinto in Japanese Pop Culture

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Chinese Religion – Ideas for Effective Instruction at the High School Level

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Chinese Religion – Ideas for Effective Instruction at the High School Level

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Just as Christian symbolism and references have made their way into popular media worldwide, Japanese religions have also made an impression on the country's main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, which the website TV Tropes defines as, " storytelling device[s] or convention[s]...shortcut[s] for describing situations the storyteller can reasonably assume the audience will recognize." Some of these storytelling devices are recognizable to a majority of viewers, but other tropes intended to connect with a Japanese audience may fly over the heads of viewers who grew up in other cultures. You may have caught subtle religious references in your favorite anime; maybe the main characters pay a visit to a shrine on New Year's Day, receive a charm or amulet for protection, or light incense for someone who has passed away. In a number of well-known anime feature films, series, and manga , elements drawn from Shinto and Buddhism play a significant role in the main story.

Before we take a look at these specific media, I'll very briefly review Japanese religion and its role in Japanese daily life. Most Japanese people practice a blend of Shinto and Buddhist traditions. Shinto, literally "The Way of ," is an indigenous Japanese spiritual practice. According to Shinto, supernatural entities called (often translated as "gods" or "spirits") inhabit all things. There are in natural phenomena like trees, mountains, and rivers, fire, and natural disasters, as well as in modern technology, in people, and in concepts such as fertility and wealth. With the introduction of Buddhism into Japan, some of these were anthropomorphized and given human forms, and some Japanese Buddhists consider to be manifestations of the Buddha. Some scholars also consider , or monsters from Japanese folklore like , , and , to be part of the pantheon. Shinto has no holy book or founder, and the practice focuses heavily on rituals. Many of these rituals have to do with purification or washing away pollution or taint. For instance, Shinto shrines have a fountain or trough near the entrance where visitors can ritually purify themselves by using a bamboo ladle to pour water over their hands before entering.

Japan's other main religion, Buddhism, originated in ancient India and slowly made its way across the Asian continent, eventually arriving in Japan in the 6th century via Korea. Buddhism encompasses many diverse practices and sects, and is largely based on the teachings of the spiritual teacher Gautama Siddhartha, known as the Buddha. Throughout the decades of Buddhist development in Japan, a number of different sects emerged, the largest of which is Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism. Buddhism mainly governs death and the afterlife in Japan, and the Buddhist elements present in everyday Japanese life mainly have to do with death and remembrance of ancestors. Most funeral services and cemeteries in Japan are Buddhist, and most Japanese families have a Buddhist altar ( ) in their homes where they can give offerings and pray for deceased loved ones. , one of the most significant holidays in the Japanese calendar, is a Buddhist event commemorating ancestors during which people return to their hometowns or the areas where relatives are buried to reunite with family, make offerings, and tidy their ancestors' graves.

Few Japanese consider themselves to be religious in the way that an American or Brit might describe themselves as religious. However, many Japanese people participate in both Buddhist and Shinto traditions throughout the year, particularly during major holidays. Therefore, though few Japanese people describe themselves as practicing Buddhists or Shintoists , the symbols and tropes associated with these religions are familiar and recognizable to a general audience in Japan. In many popular media, spiritual elements have shaped the story by acting as protagonists, antagonists, or the source of special powers and abilities.
Shinto and Natural Themes
As an animistic and pantheistic practice, Shinto is intimately interconnected with nature. As mentioned above, Shinto describes the presence of in all elements of life, including natural phenomena. Natural motifs and humanity's conflicts with and on behalf of nature are also common themes in and are perhaps most evident in the films directed by the world-renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki . Environmentalism is a notable theme throughout Miyazaki's body of work, and in two of his films, and Spirited Away , the environmentalist sentiment is closely related to Shinto philosophy and the idea of .

In , a banished prince named Ashitaka becomes involved in the struggle between a rapidly modernizing and militaristic town and an ancient forest where spirits and gods still reside. In Spirited Away , a young girl named Chihiro becomes separated from her mother and father after wandering into a realm populated by spirits. In order to rescue her parents, she begins work at a bathhouse catering to the , the so-called "eight million " of Shinto.

In both films, the main characters meet and interact with various spirits, gods, and monsters who have been damaged or displaced by human activity. In the bathhouse, Chihiro befriends a river spirit who has lost his identity and memory since his river was filled in and the area developed into apartments. Ashitaka encounters various animal and tree spirits battling against the humans destroying their forest and even meets the otherworldly Forest Spirit itself.

Apart from the roles the actual spirits play in these stories as characters, the movies also carry underlying themes of healing and purification, which are also related to Shinto philosophy. Early on in , Ashitaka encounters a boar god who has been wounded and transformed into a demon from pain and rage. The boar demon injures Ashitaka , who is in turn defiled and leaves his home to seek a cure for his injury. Similarly, within the industrialized village of Irontown, the ambitious Lady Eboshi hires and cares for lepers, who were long considered impure or victims of karmic retribution in Japan. Lady Eboshi's embrace of the sick and disabled reflects her modern attitudes and conflict with the forest and a local feudal lord, both entities representing older ways of thinking. In Spirited Away , Chihiro encounters a river spirit in the bathhouse whose river has been so polluted with the trash that he is at first an unrecognizable mass of ooze. After Chihiro helps the spirit bathe in medicinal water and removes the garbage, the river spirit returns to his normal form and rewards Chihiro with powerful medicine. These narratives of redemption through spiritual or physical cleansing intertwine with Miyazaki's environmentalist message; in Miyazaki's world, human activity is the pollutant in an otherwise pure natural realm.
Want to read more? For more examples of how Japanese Shinto and Buddhist traditions inspire today's manga and anime stories, click through to Part II of this blog post.
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Shinto and Buddhist Influences on Anime and Manga - Part I | InsideJapan Tours

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Key Issues in Asian Studies slide deck of resources.

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The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions

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The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions [Novak, Philip] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions

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A Study of the Seokguram Grotto and the Buddha Project, Jamie Foley, Columbus 06 American Transcendentalism & Buddhism: Cross-cultural Relationships, Loraine Hammack, Cleveland 05 Ancient Doctrines of China: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism, Molly Krist, Akron 08

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A slide deck of information and related links for the exploration of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism.

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From the OSU Japan Discovery Box collection of objects and lesson activities.

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Daruma

Included in Daily Life box

Description: The word Daruma was derived from the Sanskrit word "dharma." This term was originally used for dolls that were shaped in the image of Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism, performing zazen meditation. Zazen posture typically involves folding one's legs underneath themselves while seated. Today, daruma are thought of as various sized dolls made out of paper mache. The doll is said to bring good luck to its owner, as it is designed to return to its original position even after being knocked over. Traditionally, dolls are purchased without the eyes painted, and the owner will paint in the left eye of the doll as he/she makes a personal goal. Once the goal has been achieved, the owner will then paint in the right eye.
For more information, visit:http://web-japan.org/atlas/crafts/cra05.html

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Included in Daily Life box Description: The word Daruma was derived from the Sanskrit word "dharma." This term was originally used for dolls that were shaped in the image of Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism, performing zazen meditation. Zazen posture typically involves folding one's legs underneath themselves while seated.