The Buddha in Yoshiwara: Religion and Visual Entertainment in Tokugawa Japan as Seen through Kibyōshi
This article examines humorous portrayals of divinities in kibyōshi, a genre of satirical illustrated fiction that became popular in Edo in the late eighteenth century. Comical and irreverent appropriations of religious icons including kami, buddhas, and bodhisattvas constituted a common technique e...
| Published in: | Japanese journal of religious studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Nanzan Institute
2017
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| In: |
Japanese journal of religious studies
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Kibyōshi
/ Satire
/ Gods
/ Sacrilege
/ Manga
/ History 1770-1850
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| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy AG Religious life; material religion BL Buddhism BN Shinto KBM Asia TJ Modern history ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies |
| Further subjects: | B
Soul music
B Merchants B Deities B Religious Studies B Religious icons B Satire B Literary Genres B Bodhisattva B Manga |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article examines humorous portrayals of divinities in kibyōshi, a genre of satirical illustrated fiction that became popular in Edo in the late eighteenth century. Comical and irreverent appropriations of religious icons including kami, buddhas, and bodhisattvas constituted a common technique employed by kibyōshi artists to produce parodic effects. One of the most widely read genres in the latter part of the Tokugawa period, kibyōshi served as an important avenue through which people interacted with or “consumed” religious images in the early modern period. Although it is problematic to presume a direct historical link between kibyōshi and contemporary visual media such as manga and anime, the genre of kibyōshi represents a significant precedent in which religious icons served as key elements in popular entertainment. The article aims to historicize the relationship between religion and visual entertainment, which is a growing area of research in the study of religion in contemporary Japan. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Japanese journal of religious studies
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.18874/jjrs.44.2.2017.225-254 |