Description
Book SynopsisMark Teeuwen is Professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Oslo, Norway. He has published widely on the history of Japanese religions, with a special focus on Shinto. His books include
Watarai Shinto: An Intellectual History of the Outer Shrine in Ise (1996) and
A New History of Shinto (2010), co-authored by John Breen.
John Breen is Professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Japan. He has published widely on the imperial institution and religion and state in modern Japan. His books include
A New History of Shinto (2010), co-authored with Mark Teeuwen,
Girei to kenryoku: Tenno no Meiji ishin (2011) and
Shinto monogatari: Ise no kingendaishi (2015).
Trade ReviewTeeuwen and Breen present the narrative strata that make up Ise’s historical identity and recount a dynamic history in which the Ise shrines have been transformed many times over the centuries. The result of their thorough research is a fascinating and eye-opening book, an excellent resource for both researchers and teachers in the field of Japanese religions. * Reading Religion *
Offers a rich, multifaceted account and analysis of the Ise Shrines. * Monumenta Nipponica *
A welcome contribution to the English-language scholarship on this important site in Japan’s religious, political, and cultural imagination ... The authors efficiently synthesize voluminous information and trace complex relationships between different actors by adhering to three analytical strategies, an approach that allows the volume’s narrative to flow relatively seamlessly. * Journal of Religion in Japan *
In this engaging social history of the Ise Shrines, Mark Teeuwen and John Breen challenge cherished notions holding that Ise is the primal locus of Shinto, unifying and providing the standard for all other Shinto shrines since ancient times … Their book is a balanced and authoritative study of a central subject in the history of Japanese religions that will be warmly welcomed and widely appreciated. -- Helen Hardacre, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society, Harvard University, USA
This book takes us on a journey into the multilayered history of the Ise Shrines … The book is very well documented and sharp and is a must read study for scholars and students interested in Shinto, religion, and Japan. -- Elisabetta Porcu, Senior Lecturer in Asian Religions, University of Cape Town, South Africa
This book is ... highly recommended to students of Japanese religious history. * Religious Studies Review *
Table of ContentsList of Maps and Illustrations Prologue Note to the Reader Introduction: Divine capital: Ise and its agents Chapter 1. Divine wrath and court politics Chapter 2. Classical Ise: Hosophobia codified Chapter 3. Amaterasu’s escape from Ise Chapter 4. Ise in the Kamakura period: Lands and secrets Chapter 5. Ise in the Muromachi period: War and pilgrims Chapter 6. Ise restored and Shintoised Chapter 7. Pilgrims’ pleasures: Ise and its patrons in the Edo period Chapter 8. Meiji Ise: The emperor’s mausoleum and the modern pilgrim Chapter 9. Ise and nation in Taisho and early Showa Japan Chapter 10. Crisis and recovery: Ise’s postwar transformations Conclusion: Phases of redevelopment Notes References Index
