The Spirit of Japan
Festivals, Rituals and Everyday Magic
From the creators of The Garden
written by Sean Michael Wilson
illustrated by Fumio Obata
978-1-912634-30-9 * £11.99 *
An introduction to everyday Japanese rituals and spiritual practices.
Japan is sometimes called a ‘non-religious’ country, but this cliché is simply not true! If we look closer, we find that spirits, demons and magic are woven into the fabric of Japanese folklore and their effigies still populate roadsides and rituals to this day.
Japan is alive with magical festivals, practices and rituals – from marking the liminal new year with the burning of last year’s possessions, to smiling at the return of spring in the cherry blossoms. Greeting new life, making offerings to the old and banishing demons with the hurl of a soybean are all examples of intriguing Japanese traditions.
Many of these cultural practices are seen as mundane or normal, but they each express something sublime and numinous. Japanese rituals perform a powerful role in helping people deal with nature, time, seasons, aging and death – bringing a bit of everyday magic into everyday lives.
The Spirit of Japan is an accessible introduction to Japanese spiritual practice, perfect for those who are curious about spirituality or Japanese culture and would like to know more.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Value of Magic in Everyday Lives
New Year Rituals
Out Demons! Setsubun (節分) Bean Throwing
Obon (お盆) Ancestors
Jizo (地蔵) Roadside Shrines
Funeral and Death Rituals
Omikuji (おみくじ) and Other Fortune Charms
Hanami (花見) Spring Ritual
Hanabi (花火) Fireworks
Land Cleansing Ritual
Rituals at Shrines and Temples
Recent Foreign Festivals in Japan
Iro Iro (Various Things)
Sean Michael Wilson is a writer living in Scotland and Japan. His books are often on themes of history, biography and social issues. He has had more than twenty books published with a variety of US, UK, and Japanese publishers. His 2016 book The Faceless Ghost was nominated for an Eisner Award. In 2017, his book Secrets of the Ninja won an International Manga Award. (read more)
Fumio Obata is an illustrator and animator whose style and work are influenced by both Japanese and European aesthetics. He is latest graphic novel Just So Happens (Jonathan Cape, 2014) was critically acclaimed
and been published in eight languages. (read more)
