Episode 556 – The Gods March Overseas, Part 2

November 30, 2024 Leave a comment

This week: how does the history of Shinto intersect with the colonization of Hokkaido? What role does Shinto’s transition from religion to “cultural institution” play in the process that has made that island indisputably a part of Japan itself?

Sources

Shimizu, Karli. Overseas Shinto Shrines: Religion, Secularity and the Japanese Empire

Rots, Aike P. “Public Shrine Forests? Shinto, Immanence, and Discursive Secularization.” Japan Review, no. 30 (2017)

A fascinating essay on Shima Yoshitake and historical memory by Michael Roellinghoff of Tokyo College.
Images
Hokkaido Jingu’s honden (main hall) today.
The original temporary shrine building of what was then Sapporo Shrine–replaced in 1883 with a building from Ise Shrine.
A statue of Shima Yoshitake now resides on the grounds of Hokkaido Shrine.
Shima Yoshitake gets not one but two statues in Sapporo; this one is outside city hall.
“Downtown” Sapporo in 1872 (specifically what’s now Minami Ichijo Nishi Sanchoume in the heart of the southern part of the city).
The Sapporo Matsuri on August 15. This photo is from the Taisho period (1912-26), but I was unable to date exactly when.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *