History of Japanese religion

USSH is pleased to introduce the book "History of Japanese Religion" by author Sueki Fumihiko, translated by Pham Thi Thu Giang (PhD, lecturer in Japanese Studies - Faculty of Oriental Studies). Vietnam and Japan are considered two countries located within the Sinocentric cultural sphere and strongly influenced by China. Their religions are no exception. Both Vietnam and Japan adopted Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and other religions primarily from the cradle of Chinese civilization. Therefore, it's easy to assume that the two cultures share many similarities and that one's own culture can be used as a standard when understanding the other. This is true in both Vietnam and Japan, where cultural exchange has largely been superficial, and there are still few genuine studies on society, history, and culture. The book you are holding is a translation of a work published five years ago by Sueki Fumihiko, arguably a leading Japanese expert in the field of intellectual history, particularly religious thought. He spent a long time teaching at the University of Tokyo, before moving to the International Center for Japanese Cultural Studies (Nichibunken), which brings together many of Japan's leading experts in the social sciences and humanities. In Japan, it is common for each expert to specialize in a narrow area. For example, the history of Japanese Buddhism is divided into ancient, medieval, and modern Buddhist history, but within that, it is further subdivided into areas such as the economic basis of monasteries, the organizational structure of the monastic community, the ideology of a particular sect or school of thought within a temple, or even the philosophy of an unknown monk. Each expert delves deeply into their own field of research without encroaching on the domain of others. This is possible because meticulousness is a characteristic of most Japanese people, and furthermore, the research conditions—that is, the vast amount of ancient documents and texts preserved in an exceptionally good environment—are ideal. This is both a strength and a weakness of Japanese researchers, especially in the social sciences and humanities. Because of their specialized nature, only one or a few other experts understand their work, leading to research that lacks social relevance and practical application, and fails to provide a holistic perspective to address the complex problems facing contemporary Japanese society. Professor Sueki's book, *History of Japanese Religion*, overcomes this weakness of Japanese research. He is not only profoundly knowledgeable about the thought of Japanese Buddhism from ancient times to the present, but also conducts in-depth research on Shinto, Taoist, Confucian, and classical thinkers. Furthermore, he frequently engages in academic exchanges with international experts, thus gaining a comprehensive and objective perspective that transcends the typical inward-looking thinking of researchers in this island nation. This was demonstrated in his bold assessments of the role of each religion in each period. These assessments transcended existing "authoritarian scientific interpretations," offering new perspectives based on rigorous argumentation and inspiring many young researchers. Unlike Masao Maruyama, a leading figure in the study of Japanese thought, Sueki Fumihiko restructured the concept of the "archetype," establishing it as something formed and accumulated throughout history, rather than an immutable element of identity. With his profound knowledge and rigorous argumentation, he acted like a magician, using this concept to dissect the layers of culture built up by religions in order to find the archetype, the element that governs all of Japanese religious thought and ideology. Interestingly, he discovered two archetypes, from which he used to explain issues concerning Japanese thought and religion in modern society. One is the genuine cultural stratum hidden beneath the surface, and the other is the "discovered" stratum by Motoori Norinaga, a fictional one. Many studies from various perspectives have analyzed the reasons that led Japan to World War II, which ended in a devastating defeat and left a profound impact on the modern Japanese psyche. However, it was not until Sueki Fumihiko's work that a comprehensive understanding of the ideology that led Japan to the war was possible. He synthesized this concept of a fictional stratum and acknowledged that Japan paid a heavy price for those ideologies. This highlights the crucial role of ideology in a nation's development and the responsibility of thinkers and researchers of ideology towards their era. However, it must also be said that, although the ancient layer served as a universal key for researcher Sueki Fumihiko to explore the world of Japanese thought, he still failed to surpass Masao Maruyama because he could not specifically define and name what that ancient layer was. Furthermore, those who understand the high level of development of ancient Japanese culture compared to other East Asian countries except China will find the argument that the ancient layer could only have emerged around the 7th or 8th century, after the adoption of Buddhism, illogical. Without a cultural foundation, accumulated resources, and intellectual prowess, the Imperial Court could not have sent a delegation to the Tang Dynasty in 630 to acquire advanced science, technology, and thought, nor could it have left behind such magnificent architectural works and cultural achievements for future generations. Nevertheless, this is a rare book that logically synthesizes the entire history of Japanese religion—something few could write unless they were knowledgeable about the multifaceted relationships between all religions in the country's history. For Vietnamese readers, we hope you will temporarily set aside your previous thoughts and perceptions about religions in general when entering this work by Sueki Fumihiko. Only then will you be able to understand and discover the fascinating aspects, because the very essence of religion, Buddhism, Christianity, the way doctrines are constructed, the organization of congregations, etc., in Japan follows a completely different logic than in Vietnam. It can be said that the essence of the book lies in the final chapter, as it reveals the conclusions and new experiments in the thought of a profound scholar. The incompleteness of this chapter also serves as an opening for the reader's thinking. This is a precious gift, specially dedicated to the readers who have accompanied the author on this arduous journey to discover ancient layers. Nothing is more honorable for us than for each reader, after closing this book, to find a shining gem for their understanding. We respectfully present this to you!