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Paper short abstract:

Rethinking Religion in Japan becomes inevitable when a ubiquitous category of mascots in Japan called kyara is infused into certain religious landscapes leading to kyarafication. The focus of this study is to examine the reason and the impact of the infusion of kyaras in religious spaces in Japan

Paper long abstract:

Religion or Shūkyō (Shu means a sect or denomination and Kyo means teaching or doctrine) in Japan is often a contested term. In Japan, when asked if a person belongs to a religion or is religious, the answer would often be negative. However, a Japanese person denying religiosity or any specific religious affiliation can be perceived as his/her rejection of doctrines, sectarianism and exclusivity while still having a distinctive assertion towards religious practice, rituals and possessing an innate spirituality that keeps on renovating regularly.

Contemporary Japanese religiosity is transforming and being deployed into other areas like popular culture where secular elements of popular culture like kyara is being conflated with that of sacred elements of religion or are being infused in religious landscapes leading to the kyarafication of such spaces and the rethinking of religion in such spaces become inevitable.

Kyara is a multi-functional category of mascots in Japan. Although an element of Japanese popular culture, they are also used in certain religious spaces in Japan, like Shinto Shrines and Buddhist temples. Hence, the topic of this study is to investigate the reasons behind the infusion of kyara in certain religious spaces in Japan, and to examine the impact it has on the practice of religion in those spaces.

The literature on kyara is mainly concentrated on its functionality, possible origin and probable reason for consumption. The academic commentary on the reason behind kyaras amalgamation in religious spaces is scarce and primarily argues that consumption, globalization and secularization are the major reasons behind it.

Through textual analysis and ethnographic research this study shows that long existing tradition of Japanese religion that combines secular elements of play and entertainment with that of the sacred elements of religion, and diminishes the sharp contrast between the two is a major reason behind the infusion of kyara into religious spaces and the impact that it creates is that of recreation of religion. Religion in these spaces is practiced in a diversified and renewed way, thus opposing the secularization theory that suggests a diminishing role of religion in contemporary society.