So happy for Idogawa Iko, an alum of my department, who won Japan's most prestigious literature award--the Akutagawa prize-- this week!🎉 Even better, she belonged to Fujii Miwa's seminar, my amazing colleague who teaches thanatology. Hooray for death studies!🥂

【ラーク所蔵資料紹介】中野毅・平良直・粟津賢太・井上大介編『占領改革と宗教―連合国の対アジア政策と複数の戦後世界』専修大学出版局、2022年。アジア太平洋地域を①日本本土、②南西諸島、③日本の旧植民地・占領地にわけ、第二次大戦後の連合国による占領改革を宗教政策に注目して検討した論集。

❤️

"Not every end is the goal. The end of a melody is not its goal; and yet: as long as the melody has not reached its end, it also hasn't reached its goal. A parable." (Nietzche, The Wanderer and His Shadow, aphorism 204)

Very thankful for the opportunity to talk with Nathan Hopson on his pod about my new book. New Books Network (@newbooksnetwork.bsky.social) Listen to find out how it all started and what spirituality has in common with Big America burgers at Japanese McDonalds (anyone remember those?) newbooksnetwork.com/spiritual-ends

Leaving Narita in a few minutes for #AAS2023. Looking forward to being part of this roundtable about new books on death. Wish I could take this lovely spring Japan weather with me too…

Delighted to see Timothy Benedict at #AAS2023! His award-winning #openaccess book SPIRITUAL ENDS explores religious identity in Japan.

Japan’s historic silent films can now be viewed online for free through the National Film Archive of Japan. japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/genera…

This looks great. Can't wait to read it. "When Psychotherapy Becomes a Religion"

『日本人無宗教説』、タイトル的に日本人は無宗教だと論じる本だと勘違いしている方ももしかしたらいらっしゃるかもしれませんが、そうではなく、そもそもそういった説がこれまでどのようなバリエーションをもって展開してきたのか、を考えた本です。

Finally grabbed a copy of the newest 『宗教年鑑』to update my absurd priest-related statistics spreadsheets, so, hey, a tiny thread about the current state of the Jinja Honchō-affiliated Shinto priesthood. (1/14)

Did you know #PrincetonU has musical notes 🎶 still being sung in #Japan? 関西学院大学’s school song “Old Kwansei” in 1900 very closely resembles Princeton University’s “Old Nassau” written by Harlan Page Peck in 1862. Kwansei Gakuin English News Timothy Benedict paw.princeton.edu/article/praise… Princeton Alumni Weekly

I'm giving a book talk tomorrow (6/14, 7PM EST) . us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

If you are a religion scholar (ABD okay) interested in teaching “The Meaning of Death” for my department Spring 2024 email me your CV! Much appreciated if you can share with your networks.

The first issue of the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies (@JJRS_NIRC) I've had the privilege to work on as Associate Editor is out today! Please check it out! 😄🙏 with @Matthew55Mc @martasanvido Ioannis Gaitanidis Tom Newhall

Many thanks to Ioannis Gaitanidis for his very careful review of my book!