Fear and the construction of minority religions in Japan

This contribution uses examples from ‘new religions’ (shinshūkyō) to discuss how minority religions have been constructed in Japan, highlighting in particular the centrality of fear in the creation and perpetuation of minority status. Groups labelled as new religions have, since the late nineteenth century, provided the blueprint for defining what is considered ‘mainstream’ or ‘proper’ religion, often associated with supposedly ‘traditional’ religions seen as part of Japan’s culture and heritage, and ‘marginal’ or ‘outsider’ religions or religious practices that do not fit the definition of tradition in a given time and are viewed with suspicion, and, at times, controlled or suppressed. This contribution discusses how such marginalisation intersects with empowerment dynamics in the creation and perception of minority status among religious groups in Japan. Fear, I argue, is not only central to how minoritised religious groups are perceived by the external world, but has also worked on interactions and relations between religious organisations and society in the other direction, from group members toward the external world. Paying attention to how groups navigate and respond to marginalisation, whether by hiding or eschewing their marginal status or by embracing it as a means of empowerment, is therefore crucial to understanding the dynamics of minoritisation.