Topic: Japan
From The Margaret Mead Symposium: Whither the United States in the World?
Commemorating the centennial of the birth of Margaret Mead.
December 2 & 3, 2001
Sponsors: Library of Congress and The Smithsonian Institution
In this topic, panelists explore how Japan views itself, how it is viewed by other countries, as well as the presence of Evangelicalism within religion in Japan.
Japan Self Conscious
Speaker: Takami Kuwayama
Professor of Anthropology, Soka University, Tokyo
Kuwayama says that while Japanese have changed over recent decades, there is always continuity in how they present themselves.
Quicktime (2.3MB)- Windows Media Player (2.8MB)
Outside Views of Japan
Speaker: Takami Kuwayama
Professor of Anthropology, Soka University, Tokyo
Kuwayama stresses the importance of trying to understand a society from both inside and outside.
- Quicktime (2.71MB)
- Windows Media Player (3.29MB)
Evangelical Religions in Japan
Speaker: Daniel Metraux
Chairman of Asian Studies, Mary Baldwin College
The new religions in Japan are very missionary in their approach, Metraux argues.
- Quicktime (2.84MB)
- Windows Media Player (3.4MB)
Soka Gokkai and After Life
Speaker: Daniel Metraux
Chairman of Asian Studies, Mary Baldwin College
Metraux asks why Soka Gokkai Buddhism has done so well in a number of countries, and offers some possible leads.
- Quicktime (7.1MB)
- Windows Media Player (8.58MB)
