Volume 03: Gods

We are proud to present Volume 03: Gods, which examines the close relationship between religion and culture. The stories explore how people today experience and interpret traditions through their craft and life's work.

Produced in collaboration with a group of talented writers, academics, writers, translators, and illustrators, the stories in this book are as diverse as they are intellectually voracious. They run the gamut from the state of religion in Japan today to mythological imagery in anime; from a deep dive into Iwami Kagura folk dance theatre with roots in Shintoism to how one Buddhist monk has revamped his temple for modern times.

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In this volume

Immerse yourself in a sprawling, fascinating conversation about religion in Japan through the ages.

Learn about all the mythological references in your favourite anime from an expert.

Take a whirlwind survey of Buddhist temple cuisine that interrogates how we interpret the past.

Find out why designer Kobayashi Shinya decided to buy a mountain.

  • Spend a night at ZENSO, a modern “temple AirBnb” offering a new way to encounter Buddhism. 

  • Dive into the culture of making kumade.

  • Look behind the scenes at the workshop of master miyabori carver Koyama Hiroki.

  • Visit Shimane, the legendary land of the gods, and learn about the world of Iwami Kagura.

  • Meet dancers and change-makers in the community of Yunotsu Onsen, a historic seaside town in West Shimane.

Volume 03: Gods includes several Japanese-language articles.
Vol.03『Gods』には日本語訳の記事も一部含まれます。

  • Original features

    Mixing Mythologies by Stevie Suan

    The Art of Making One’s Fortune by Mia Tillonen

    Of Surfaces and Shadows by Florentyna Leow

    Night at the Temple by Florentyna Leow

    The Myth-Making of Shojin Ryori by Kirsty Bouwers

    In the Land of the Gods by Florentyna Leow

    A Dance Fit for the Gods by Florentyna Leow, translated by Moe Suzuki

  • Interviews

    Is a Rock a God? by Claire Williamson & Kirsty Bouwers

    Reinstalling Satoyama, translated by Minami Noemi

    The Concierge of Yunotsu Onsen, translated by Hida Hikari

    Genshosha: Creating Community from a Curry Restaurant, translated by Minami Noemi

  • Fiction

    Little Gods by Claire Williamson

    Illustrations by Justine Wong, SHIO, and Hikaru Kusaka