Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the interpenetration and tension between the religious and the economic in a Shinto shrine from the perspective of the insiders. Although seeking economic (secular) gain is not appropriate for a religious (sacred) organization, a shrine cannot operate without economic interest.

Paper long abstract:

This paper elucidates how a Shinto shrine situated in a rural depopulated area acts as a company to sustain itself. McLaughlin et al. (2020), suggest that scholars of religion must investigate corporate forms because corporate forms have a religious type of mindset. Contrarily, I suggest rather than finding religion in corporations what if we investigate corporate tendencies in religious organizations? Since 2018 I have been doing fieldwork in a Shinto shrine while working as a miko (shrine maiden). I was bewildered when a Shinto priest called himself a salaryman and shrine a company. Indeed, kannushi’s job is not only doing purification rituals, but they must do lots of other things. Moreover, kannushi receive bonuses, increments in status, salary, and health insurance facilities. It can be said that a Shinto priest is “less an employee than an archetypal salaryman” (Nelson 1997). In the HKN shrine for the staff, the shrine is a ‘company’ and kannushi is a salaryman. The Shrine pays taxes. Moreover, like a company to survive competition the shrine does advertisements and events to attract more worshipers. It selects designs of omamori (amulets) and goshuincho (notebook for collecting shrines or temples’ stamps) from the perspective of sales. As an artisan makes goods, shrines turn goods into omamori. If we notice that the Japanese term houjin that is attached to religious organizations, Shukyou houjin, itself translated as ‘corporation’ however different than the US it includes schools and kin groups that would not be recognized as corporations in the US (Riles 2011). Through examining a model of a Shinto shrine, we can see that religious corporation has a paradox as a term itself. A religious corporation is religious i.e., sacred, and a corporation i.e., secular at the same time. In this paper, I will explore the interpenetration and tension between the religious and the economic in a shrine from the perspective of the insiders. Although seeking economic (secular) gain is not appropriate for a religious (sacred) organization, a shrine cannot operate without economic interest. How does the administration manage the shrine, maintaining the appropriate relationship between them?