RELG 368. Japanese Religions in Pop Culture.

Explores the representation of religion in today’s Japanese popular culture. Through the exploration of religious narratives, symbolism and concepts in manga, anime, film and short novels, students will study the way religion is perceived in contemporary Japan. The distinction between the secular and the sacred, and the clash between modernity and Japan’s pre-modern religious traditions will be examined from an historical, anthropological and literary point of view.