Religion, Second Modernity and Individualization in Japan

Abstract

AbstractDrawing on the theory of second modernity and individualization postulated by Ulrich Beck and his colleagues, Japanese sociologists have noted that a radical shift in Japan’s societal structure and modes has occurred since the mid-1990s, when institutions that had so far maintained a stable social order and integrated society started to collapse (Suzuki et al. 2010). In this context, religion too has no longer been able to provide stability and support to individuals, and its role in public life has been reduced. One of the most cited consequences has been the lack of trust in religious institutions that has led individuals to sever their ties with them. This has affected religious organizations dependent on traditional family ties, in particular Buddhist temples. Against this backdrop, this paper reflects on how some recent outreach activities carried out by religious institutions in contemporary Japan are the result of a crucial transformation of their configurations and structure rather than a representation of the same old patterns in new clothes. To this end, the paper focuses on the attempts made by the resident priest of an urban temple to come to terms with conditions proper to second modernity, where uncertainties and “risks” have replaced stability and security, and categories such as the family and religion have been destabilized.