Activities of the Japan Islamic Congress and their place within the history of Japanese reception of Islam

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26770027
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Religious studies
• Research Institution: Kobe City University of Foreign Studies
• Principal Investigator: Obuse Kieko 神戸市外国語大学, 外国学研究所, 客員研究員 (90719270)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 日本におけるイスラーム受容 / 日本イスラム教団 / イスラーム布教（ダアワ） / 日本人ムスリム / 土着化 / 改宗 / 新宗教

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of the present project has been to investigate the activities of the Japan Islamic Congress, which is said to have enjoyed a huge membership in the 1970s through unusual missionary strategies, and to situate it within the history of Japanese reception of Islam. It has been concluded that, while its activities can partially be characterized as an attempt to indigenize Islam in Japanese contexts, the group can be better understood as a new religion. Major factors behind this conclusion include: its founder, called ‘Great Master’ by his followers, assumed the role of a healer; the group focused on organizing large-scale rituals such as mass-conversion ceremonies; and the group membership was more emphasized than being a Muslim.

Free Research Field

宗教学