Practicing belonging, vicarious spirituality, and gendered fetishism: The transformation of the non-religious/religious in contemporary Japanese youth culture

In contemporary Japanese youth culture, the boundary between religious and non-religious practices is blurring, shaped by three key concepts: 'practicing belonging', 'vicarious spirituality', and 'gendered fetishism'. These are illustrated through the phenomenon of 'tulpa'—created paranormal beings derived from Tibetan Buddhism—along with other examples. The article argues that what may appear religious to Japanese scholars might not be viewed as such by Western scholars, and that factors transforming religiousness in Japan affect not only spiritual but also secular settings, leading to parallel phenomena.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article discusses the transformation of religious and non-religious practices in contemporary Japanese youth culture. The article employs both western analysis of ‘nones’ and Japanese theories to explain this transformation. Three concepts characterize (non-)religiousness in Japanese youth culture: ‘practicing belonging’, ‘vicarious spirituality’, and ‘gendered fetishism’. These concepts are first exemplified in a culture surrounding the concept of ‘tulpa’ (created paranormal beings, derived from Tibetan Buddhism) in Japan. Other examples reflecting each of these concepts are presented, along with a discussion of why Japanese youth culture came to manifest such characteristics. In so doing, we will refrain from drawing a rigid line between religious and non-religious settings, acknowledging that what may appear religious to Japanese scholars may not be viewed as such by western scholars. The factors behind the transformation of religiousness in Japan affect not only religious and spiritual but also non-religious or secular settings, resulting in parallel phenomena.