Recent developments in the Japanese debate on secularization

Secularization theory was introduced to Japan in the 1970s but initial attempts to apply it to Japanese religions have not created a lasting trend. A skeptical attitude toward secularization is still dominant in Japan, based on the claim that the secularization thesis is ultimately centered on western representations of Christianity. This does not mean, however, that discussions revolving around secularization have disappeared from the scholarly scene. In fact, the idea of secularization is used as a negative point of reference by several scholars, while others have attempted to apply it more positively to the Japanese context. Discussions on secularization in Japan since the 1980s are still in need of a critical examination, and this article aims to partially address this gap by focusing on the contributions by Japanese scholars in the last decade, in order to illustrate some of the major trends and issues in the current debate