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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Workship Paperback - 1998

by Karen A. Smyers


From the publisher

The deity Inari has been worshipped in Japan since at least the early eighth century and today is a revered presence in such varied venues as Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, factories, theaters, private households, restaurants, beauty shops, and rice fields. Although at first glance and to its many devotees Inari worship may seem to be a unified phenomenon, it is in fact exceedingly multiple, noncodified, and noncentralized. No single regulating institution, dogma, scripture, or myth centers the practice. In this exceptionally insightful study, the author explores the worship of Inari in the context of homogeneity and diversity in Japan. The shape-shifting fox and the wish-fulfilling jewel, the main symbols of Inari, serve as interpretive metaphors to describe the simultaneously shared yet infinitely diverse meanings that cluster around the deity. That such diversity exists without the apparent knowledge of Inari worshippers is explained by the use of several communicative strategies that minimize the exchange of substantive information. Shared generalized meanings (tatemae) are articulated while private meanings and complexities (honne) are left unspoken. The appearance of unity is reinforced by a set of symbols representing fertility, change, and growth in ways that can be interpreted and understood by many individuals of various ages and occupations. The Fox and the Jewel describes the rich complexity of Inari worship in contemporary Japan. It explores questions of institutional and popular power in religion, demonstrates the ways people make religious figures personally meaningful, and documents the kinds of communicative styles that preserve the appearance of homogeneity in the face of astonishing factionalism.

Details

  • Title The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Workship
  • Author Karen A. Smyers
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition 1st Edition
  • Pages 288
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, HI
  • Date 1998-12-01
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Illustrated
  • ISBN 9780824821029 / 0824821025
  • Weight 0.95 lbs (0.43 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.11 x 6.06 x 0.71 in (23.14 x 15.39 x 1.80 cm)
  • Reading level 1360
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: Asian - Japanese
    • Religious Orientation: Buddhist
  • Library of Congress subjects Foxes - Religious aspects, Inari
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 98034604
  • Dewey Decimal Code 299.561
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

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Fox and the Jewel, The: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

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By Karen A. Smyers. Condition very good, minor wear and warping to cover. The deity Inari has been worshipped in Japan since at least the early 8th century and today is a revered presence in such varied venues as Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, factories, household, restaurants, and rice fields. Although at first glance and to its many devotees Inari worship may seem to be a unified phenomenon, it is in fact exceedingly multiple, noncodified, and noncentralized. This book describes the rich complexity of Inari worship in contemporary Japan.
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

by Smyers, Karen A

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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

by Karen A. Smyers

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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Workship

The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Workship

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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

by Karen A. Smyers

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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

by Smyers, Karen A

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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Workship

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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship
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The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship

by Smyers, Karen A

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ISBN 10
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