Politics and Religion in Modern Japan: Red Sun, White Lotus

Politics and Religion in Modern Japan addresses crucial religious, socio-political and cultural issues raised by the troubled relationship between religion and the Japanese state from the mid-nineteenth century until the present day. It analyzes political dynamics of both of the two major Japanese religious traditions: the 'red sun' of national Shinto as well as the 'white lotus' of Buddhism. From a richly diverse range of disciplinary perspectives, the authors illuminate the overall history of modern Japanese political religion, while also focusing in depth on certain key moments and issues: the Meiji Restoration, the fascist 1930s, the postwar age of new religions, the Yasukuni Shrine controversy, and two major incidents of religiopolitical violence in late twentieth century Japan. The work will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese politics, religion, history, literature, and culture, as well as to anyone interested in the currently pressing topic of the relation between politics and religion in the modern world.