Dark Faiths of Japan

Dark Faiths of Japan

In Japan, spirituality has always walked a fine line between the sacred and the feared. Dark Faiths of Japan explores the shadowy edges of belief, where folklore, magic, and ritual intersect with power, violence, and social control. From demonized mountain ascetics and secretive Onmyōdō diviners, to apocalyptic cults and fears of spiritual contamination, this book delves into the religious practices that have historically provoked anxiety, persecution, and moral panic.

Drawing on centuries of history, folklore, and philosophy, it examines how "evil" has been constructed in the religious imagination, why fear shapes the sacred, and how power can corrupt devotion. Thoughtful, detailed, and unsettling, this book reveals the hidden tensions between faith and authority, purity and transgression, and belief and fear. Dark Faiths of Japan is an essential guide to the darker currents that run beneath the surface of Japanese religion, offering readers a rare glimpse into a world where the sacred and the dangerous are inseparably entwined.