Civil religion and second modernity in Japan: A sociological analysis

Abstract

The term "civil religion" was coined by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the late eighteenth century. He describes what he regarded as a set of quasi-religious attitudes essential to making the country, the object of the citizens' adoration in a new republican order. The concept of civil religion thus has strong links to nation building during the period of modernity. The "second modernity", by contrast, is characterized by "denationalization". Increasingly, international or supranational organizations like the European Union are gaining political importance, and national civil religions can be seen as a hindrance to new solidarities amongst new political communities. Japan's civil religion might also be an obstacle to the creation of meaningful relationships with its neighbouring countries, such as South Korea or China. By analyzing the establishment of Japan's civil religion from the late nineteenth century until the present day, we try to identify its merits and pitfalls and its applicability to the second modernity. The adopted indigenous Shintôism was consciously designed by the Meiji leaders and served as a unifying ideology to mobilize the people for nation building. However, it also led to ultranationalism and war with neighbouring countries. Immediately after World War II, Shintô religion and the emperor system provided the basis for fuelling the revival of modern Japanese civil religion. In this regard, the Yasukuni Shrine plays an important role in this updated civil religion and serves as a barrier to peaceful relations with neighbouring countries. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2016. All rights are reserved.