Paper short abstract:

Literally “second-generation religious,” shūkyō nisei has grown into a widely-used rubric in media and political discourses. This paper will draw on engagements with shūkyō nisei to consider ways this burgeoning identity is shaping Japanese religion in the post-Abe era.

Paper long abstract:

On July 8, 2022, Abe Shinzō was murdered by a gunman named Yamagami Tetsuya. Yamagami reportedly targeted the former Prime Minister because he was angered by Abe’s support for the former Unification Church (UC). Yamagami blamed the UC for convincing his mother to donate ruinous amounts of money, leading to his family’s bankruptcy and decades of his own turmoil. As a disgruntled child of a dedicated adherent, Yamagami is now Japan’s most famous shūkyō nisei. Literally “second-generation religious,” and sometimes rendered as “child of faith,” shūkyō nisei has grown into a widely-used rubric in media and political discourses following the Abe assassination. The phrase represents a generation of apostates, and critical adherents, who came of age within high-pressure religious communities. In the months following the Abe murder, shūkyō nisei have featured prominently in press conferences organized by lawyers seeking damages from the UC (and other religious groups); had their testimonials broadcast in well-publicized books, magazine articles, and other publications; had their messages spread through TV panel shows, Twitter hashtags, and other media; and informed decisions made by policymakers and other influencers who are formulating legislation aimed at seeking reparations for victims of exploitative religions and dissolving the Unification Church. This paper will draw on published testimonials, ethnographic engagements, and interviews with shūkyō nisei who have been active in media and political discourses and within intra-religious disputes to consider ways this burgeoning identity is shaping Japanese religion in the post-Abe era. Attention to the people who comprise the shūkyō nisei community provides clues about how religion and debates about its place in the public sphere are likely to develop as circumstances affected by the Abe assassination continue to unfold.