Blessing the living spaces of migrants: religious practices of Thai workers in Japan and their meanings

Abstract

ABSTRACT Existing literature suggests that religion plays a significant role in migrants’ social and cultural capital, engaging them with their ethnic communities both within and across the host countries’ borders. This article proposes that religion provides a mechanism for migrants to reconstitute their spaces under the subjugation of a migratory structure. The article reports findings of a case study of Thai technical intern trainees who are guest workers in Japan, examining their religious practices and the reconstitution of their living spaces, and considering the meanings associated with those practices. It focuses on a broad spectrum of Thai religiosity, which is characterized by an amalgam of diverse ritual and cosmological domains. It allows for the inclusion of a broader range of religious practices serving as repertoires for Thai migrants. Living in subjugating circumstances in Japan, religious practices such as carrying sacred objects and worshipping mystical entities instil in migrants’ spaces a sense of being blessed and protected. The reconstituted space is transnationally connected to mystical powers and their families in Thailand. The new essence of comfort and familiarity attached to their living spaces helps mitigate constraints during their stay in the destination country.