The purpose of this paper is to describe the history of Ise Jingū in postwar Japan from the perspective of secularism. In postwar Japan, the separation of church and state as stipulated in Articles 20 and 89 of the Constitution has been a major point of contention. Yasukuni Shrine, in particular, has been the focus of attention as a symbolic site for the postwar debate over secularism. In contrast, Ise Jingū has rarely attracted the attention of society. The main argument of this paper is that Ise Jingū, which has remained a blind spot in the postwar debate over secularism, is in fact an object to be discussed from the perspective of secularism and, especially since the 2010s, has become more closely connected to politics, both at the local and national levels. The first part of this paper introduces recent studies on Ise Jingū and the separation of church and state. The second part reveals that Ise City has maintained a close relationship with Ise Jingū even after the establishment of the separation. In part three, it is pointed out that not only has Ise Jingū maintained a close relationship with the national government, but also its political presence has been increasing, especially in recent years. In the concluding section, the relative increase of Ise Jingū and decrease of Yasukuni Shrine in recent political presence are sociologically analyzed.

The Owari Ōkunitama Shrine conducted several Shinto ceremonies with the purpose of driving evil spirits out. One of those was the naoi ceremony, carried out until the Kanpō era (1741-1744) and which resulted in several episodes of chaos and bloodshed. To cope with this problem, the Owari domain consulted with a specialist called Yoshimi Kōwa (1673-1761).

Yoshimi is well known for his peculiar type of kokushi kanchō-shugi, a syncretic principle that combined an analysis of Shinto based on historical documents and ancient customs with real political events. This principle ultimately facilitated a junction between Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. However, in the Naoi Mondō (Dialogues on Purging Ceremonies), Yoshimi Kōwa criticizes the syncretic rites mixing Buddhism and Shinto, calling them “questionable worship” (inshi), responsible for inflicting hardship and privations on the people.

This paper investigates his Naoi Mondō, focusing mainly on the idea of “the way of sincerity” (seichoku no michi), one of his most essential theories. This paper shows that Yoshimi's ideas on “sincerity” (seichoku) were one of the first cases of a text by this author discussing political ritual, and will serve as basis for his later considerations on Shinto.

This article examines the narratives of Japanese general physicians to ascertain how they view life and death. Previous studies have found that physicians' views on life and death are greatly influenced by their personal experiences of loss. However, these studies focused on death in general, not in the personal sense. In this article, we focus on the narratives of three physicians who inherited medical practices in their community after taking care of their parents. Their way of life and limited ability to choose freely have engendered in them a feeling of passivity, in which they accept the conditions they find themselves in and consider what they can do within these boundaries. This approach underscores their deliberate passive commitment in the face of the suffering of dying patients. What supports their practice and self-understanding as caregivers are the continuing bonds with the dead and a mutual acceptance with patients and their suffering. This awareness supports the continued involvement of Japanese general physicians in the life and death of local community members, as well as characterizes their views on life and death.