Acculturation and Ethnic Boundary - 日本学術振興会 · Sukyo Mahikari . 1974 . 30,000 80% : Layman-Evangelist Type . Note: Name of Religion ・Year Evangelism in Brazil commenced

Acculturation and Ethnic Boundary Maintenance

- Japanese Religions in Brazil and Brazilian Religions in Japan -

Masako Watanabe Professor, Faculty of Sociology,

Meiji Gakuin University

Minister-Centred Type

A B

Konkokyo 1964 400 10% Omoto 1926 240 5%

Parent-Child Type (Vertical

Relations)

Centralized Type (Horizontal

Relations within the Community)

D C

Tenrikyo 1930

15,000 a little Seicho-No-Ie 1934 2,500,000 95%

Reiyukai 1975

80,000 60% Messianica 1955 310,000 97%

Perfect Liberty 1957 300,000 90% SGI 1960 150,000 90% Rissho kosei-kai 1971 657 20% Sukyo Mahikari 1974 30,000 80% Layman-Evangelist Type

Note: Name of Religion・Year Evangelism in Brazil commenced・Number of Believers・Proportion of Non-Japanese Believers

Figure 1 Classification of Japanese New Religions in Brazil

Figure 2 Challenges for Japanese New Religions in Brazil

Ⅰ Challenges for Expansion Ⅱ Challenges for Adjustment

① increasing geographical reach ② implementing a flexible hierarchical structure ③ appealing to all generations ④ reaching out to different racial groups ⑤ offering services in other languages

① overcoming the language barrier ② accommodating local beliefs in miracles and spiritualism ③ modifying cultural biases in messages ,rituals ,and practices ④ acquiring social recognition in the host society ⑤ avoiding conflicts with the Roman Catholic Church etc.

Figure 3 Challenges for Japanese New Religions in Brazil

Ⅲ Challenges for Stabilizing Brazilian Membership

Ⅳ Challenges for Organizations

① understanding the Brazilian disposition ② developing a system for education and a training system for Brazilian converts ③ helping reward-oriented Brazilians to deepen their religious convictions ④ developing more accommodating doctrines without jeopardizing core messages etc.

① arranging assistance from and relations with headquarters in Japan ② organizing branches to cover a large territory ③ establishing branches strategically ④ developing a system to acknowledge qualifications ⑤ appointing non-Japanese Brazilians to key positions in the organization etc.

Sekai Kyusei Kyo（Messianica）(1/2)

upper left : Headquarters for evangelism in Brazil lower left : Bird‘s-eye view of a shrine constructed at their holy site in Brazil upper right : Members practising the rite of spirit-purification（Jorei）

Sekai Kyusei Kyo（Messianica）(2/2)

upper left : Group rite of spirit-purification led by the vice president of the group at a monthly festival upper right : Members praying at a monthly festival at the holy site lower left : Overseas-trainers candidates attending a Japanese language class

Sukyo Mahikari

upper left : Scene of a beginners' training course lower left : Members praying and/or practicing spirit-purification before a festival starts upper right : Scene of spirit-purification

Soka Gakkai International

upper left : Non-Japanese Brazilians holding a service lower left : Gathering of a women's group upper right : Young people performing at a cultural festival

Reiyukai

upper left : Buddhist altar of Campo Grande branch and members reciting the scripture lower left : Members reciting the scripture in a leader training class upper right : Group discussion

Inari Kai (1/3)

upper left : Inari Kai altars upper right : An Inari Kai leader possessed by the spirit of a slave who died while holding a grudge lower left : Purification ritual for the spirit of the slave(The leader holds a Shinto scripture her mother brought from Japan when immigrating to Brazil)

Inari Kai (2/3)

upper right : Discerning a person's fate (Karma). (The practitioner sprinkles salt and reads the person's fortune by the pattern) upper left : Macumba purification ritual. ( Macumba is a form of Afro-Brazilian black magic) lower left : Macumba purification ritual .

Inari Kai (3/3)

upper left : A patient who suffers from headaches and sleeplessness because he damaged a divine figure (Note the neck of the figure of Santa Maria bound with plaster) lower left : A leader soothes a child's mental disorder which was caused by the curse of the spirit of a dead upper right : Wiping off a skin disease and transferring it to a chicken skin

Exterior of Toyohashi Catholic Church

Portuguese-language mass (twice weekly)

Roman Catholic Church (1/2)

Roman Catholic Church (2/2)

The Festa Junina held in Toyohashi City.

• A branch of the Protestant Pentecostal Church established in 1994 by a Brazilian emigrant worker.

• Presently, there are more than 20 branch churches in Japan.

• Branch churches have been established in Brazil and Portugal in a form of reverse import.

• The Missao Apoio Church has started to cooperate with the Pentecostal Church in Japan.

upper left : Exterior of the Kariya Massao Apoio Church lower left : Scene of a Sunday gathering.

Missao Apoio Church (1/2)

upper left : Exterior of the Toyohashi Massao Apoio Church which occupies a garage building in the suburbs. lower left : Scene of a Sunday gathering. upper right : Some are filled by the Holy Spirit, speak in tongues, and fall to the ground.

Missao Apoio Church (2/2)

The “March for Jesus” (Nagoya City) began as an event sponsored by the Japanese Pentecostal Church for the promotion of faith and evangelism. The Missao Apoio Church also started to participate. Presently, 60 to 70% of the participants are Latin Americans.

March for Jesus

The headquarters of these two Brazilian churches established branches in Japan in order for the purpose of evangelism. upper left : Exterior of the Universal Church in Hamamatsu. The church is situated in a prime location close to the JR station. upper right : Exterior of the International Church of the Grace of God in Toyohashi. lower right : Gathering of the International Church of the Grace of God.

The Universal Church and the International Church of the Grace of God

A Brazilian emigrant worker in Japan was spiritually possessed, became a religious leader, and established a centre of Kardecism. Later, he established a centre of Umbanda. upper right : Exterior of the Kardecism centre in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture. upper left : A Kardec gathering. lower left: As part of their volunteer activities, followers of Kardecism distribute warm food to homeless people.

Kardecism・Umbanda (1/3)

upper left : Opening prayer at a gathering. upper right : At a gathering, the leader is possessed by a spirit. Eventually, people around him are also possessed by spirits. lower right : A woman possessed by a good spirit is practising Passe (treatment) for a person possessed by a bad spirit.

Umbanda (2/3)

A small group gathering held at a private home in Suzuka City. (This group is a branch of the Gifu Centre.) upper left : Study session of a Kardec document. upper right : Offering a prayer before a study session for children. lower right : Before Passe , the healer offers a prayer and feels the approach of a spirit.

Small Gathering of Kardecism in Miye Prefecture (3/3)