Seals, script & sacred sites: A study of goshuin 御朱印 in modern Japan
Date
2024
Authors
Brittain, Tanya L.
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Abstract
I argue in this thesis that while shinbutsu bunri was highly successful institutionally in many ways it failed in practice. Goshuin, provided at both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in the contemporary period exemplify the enduring complexity of Japanese cultural and religious practices. From an academic perspective however, they have been hiding in plain sight. Although goshuin have long endured as a cherished tradition in Japan they have not yet been studied in English language scholarship and remain underexplored even among Japanese academics and researchers. This lack of comprehensive investigation has left a significant gap in our understanding of the social and historical significance of goshuin as forms of material culture.
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Keywords
Japan, Esoteric Buddhism, Goshuin