Description
Book SynopsisWhy would a country strongly influenced by Buddhism's reverence for life allow legalized, widely used abortion? This title examines abortion as a window on the culture and ethics of Japan.
Trade Review"This is a first-rate cross-cultural study, taking the reader to the heart of another society's beliefs and practices."--Mark Archer, The Sunday Telegraph "Both Buddhism and abortion flourish in modern Japan: the link between them is death. William LaFleur explains how this has come about, and in doing so provides an unusual insight into the character of modern Japan, where death is a big-money operation both for medicine and for religion."--Thomas Crump, London Review of Books "Objective, informed, observant, and imaginative. William LaFleur not only enlarges our knowledge, he also uses his single topic to illuminate a broad and fundamental feature of Japanese society itself."--Donald Richie, Japan Times Weekly
Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPt. 1Original ConceptsCh. 1Behind the Great Buddha3Ch. 2A World of Water and Words14Ch. 3Social Death, Social Birth30Ch. 4Jizo at the Crossroads44Pt. 2Historical ProcessesCh. 5Edo: An Era in View69Ch. 6Edo: Population89Ch. 7Edo: Polemics103Ch. 8Sex, War, and Peace119Pt. 3Contemporary IssuesCh. 9Apology143Ch. 10Moral Swamps160Ch. 11A Rational, National Family177Ch. 12Crossovers198Conclusion214Appendix: "The Way to Memorialize One's Mizuko"221Notes225Bibliography243Index253
