Susanne Formanek, William LaFleur, ed., 2004
Practicing the Afterlife: Perspectives from Japan. (BKGA 42.) Wien: VÖAW, 2004 (order online). (536 S.)
How do people in Japan conceive of life after death? Although many Japanese today claim that on their archipelago there has never been much interest in this topic, the evidence presented here shows otherwise. Documenting a rich range of historical as well as contemporary scenarios that present life as going on after death, these essays also show individuals and whole communities acting on the belief that the line between the living and the dead is porous and that it makes sense even now to practice the “life” one will have after becoming dead. They thus not only bring forward aspects of Japan obscured until now, but also can contribute to our own current discussions of life, dying, and death.