Moreno Villanueva, Emilio
(2025)
Religious Nationalism in Contemporary Japan: The Case of Nippon Kaigi.
Research master thesis, Master Theologie Religiewetenschappen res.
Abstract
This thesis analyzes religious nationalism in contemporary Japan through a case study of Nippon Kaigi, an ultra-nationalist organization closely linked to political elites. Challenging the view of postwar Japan as a fully secular and pacifist democracy, the study argues that religiously grounded nationalist dynamics persist beneath formal institutions. Drawing on René Girard’s mimetic theory, particularly the scapegoat mechanism, the analysis adopts a cultural approach that goes beyond legislative and electoral evidence. By tracing the historical foundations of Japanese religious nationalism and examining Japan’s informal power structures, the thesis demonstrates how Nippon Kaigi operates effectively within the political system to shape discourse, elites, and public policy. The study concludes that Nippon Kaigi represents a contemporary manifestation of enduring religious-nationalist logics embedded in Japanese political culture, with significant implications for Japan’s political trajectory and broader debates on religion, nationalism, and violence.
| Type: |
Thesis
(Research master)
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| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Roig Lanzillotta, F.L. | | Faculteit GGW, Jodendom, Christendom en Islam in formatieve fase | F.L.Roig.Lanzillotta@rug.nl |
|
| Supervisors from outside the RUG: |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Theologie Religiewetenschappen res |
| Academic year: |
2023-2025 |
| Date of delivery: |
03 Feb 2026 10:50 |
| Last modified: |
03 Feb 2026 10:50 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/889 |
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