Comparative study of religious strategy about interpretations and solutions of problems of life in contemporary Japan

2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 18520054
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Religious studies
• Research Institution: Toyo University
• Principal Investigator: NISHIYAMA Shigeru Toyo University, Department of Sociology, Professor (00092528)
• Project Period (FY): 2006 – 2007
• Keywords: Problems of life / religious strategy / new religions / religious folkways / suburbs / life in local community / supervisory system / the vitalistic conception of salvation

Research Abstract

In this research we aimed at making clear the problem that how established religions, folk religions and new religions interpret and solve problems of life in contemporary Japan. For accomplish this purposes, we made (1) an investigation of given region and (2) investigations of given new religions.
Concerning (1), we made fundamental investigations. We selected Tounobaru, Tikusino-shi, Fukuoka-ken (福岡県筑紫野市塔原地区) as region for an investigation. We made clear the changes and continuities of religious folkways with life on the local community in the suburbs. In this area, residential development was occurred in recent year and rurbanization is going on, but on folkways and especially religious folkways, there is an apparent division between newcomers and inhabitants who lived in the area from generation to generation.
Concerning(2), we selected Rissho Kosei-kai (立正佼成会), Seicho-No-Ie (成長の家), Zenrinkyo (善隣教), Soka Gakkai(創価学会), Nenpoushinkyou (念法眞教), Sekai Kyusei Kyo (世界救世教) as new religions for investigation. Regarding Rissho Kosei-kai, we carried out a questionnaire survey of teacher being in the world of two parishes in Kyushu (九州). Other new religions were took part and researched respectively. As a result, we made clear that there is the vitalistic conception of salvation and secretes-ethical practices mixed approach that they have in common, on the other hand, there are varieties of schema of explain and method about problems of life.
There are problems to be solved later, but we made clear the changes and continuities of religious folkways with life on the local community which is concerned interpretation and solution of problems of life and religious strategy of new religions which made interpretation and solution of problems of life extremely in contemporary Japan, so this research accomplished the aim suitably. Our results of this research are completed in a report published in 2008.3.