{"product_id":"pilgrims-until-we-die-unending-pilgrimage-in-shikoku-paperback","title":"Pilgrims Until We Die: Unending Pilgrimage in Shikoku - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eIan Reader\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJohn Shultz\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Shikoku pilgrimage, a 1400 kilometre, eighty-eight temple circuit around Japan's fourth largest island, takes around forty days by foot, or one week by car. Historically, Buddhist ascetics walked it without ceasing, creating a tradition of unending pilgrimage that continues in the present era, both by pilgrims on foot and by others in cars. Some spend decades walking the pilgrimage, while others drive it repeatedly, completing hundreds of pilgrimage circuits. Most are retired and make the pilgrimage the centre of their post-work lives. Others who work full-time spend their holidays and weekends as pilgrims. Some have only done the pilgrimage a few times but already imagine themselves as unending pilgrims and intend to do it \"until we die\". \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThey talk happily of being addicted and having Shikokuby?, 'Shikoku illness', portraying this 'illness' and addiction as blessings. Featuring extensive fieldwork and interviews, this study of Japan's most famous Buddhist pilgrimage presents new theoretical perspectives on pilgrimage in general, along with rich ethnographic examples of pilgrimage practices in contemporary Japan. \u003cem\u003ePilgrims Until We Die\u003c\/em\u003e counteracts normative portrayals of pilgrimage as a transient activity, defined by a temporary leave of absence from home to visit sacred places outside the parameters of everyday life, showing that many participants view pilgrimage as a way of creating a sense of home and permanence on the road. Examining how obsession, devotion, and a sense of addiction aided by modern developments and economic factors have created a culture of recurrent pilgrimage, \u003cem\u003ePilgrims Until We Die\u003c\/em\u003e challenges standard understandings of pilgrimage.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIan Reader\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor Emeritus at the University of Manchester, where he was previously Professor of Japanese Studies. He has also held academic positions in Scotland, Hawaii, Denmark, and Japan. He has written widely on religion in Japan, and on issues related to the study of pilgrimage. Among his recent books are \u003cem\u003eDynamism and the Ageing of a Japanese \"New\" Religion\u003c\/em\u003e with Erica Baffelli, \u003cem\u003e Health-Related Votive Tablets from Japan: Ema for Healing and Well-being\u003c\/em\u003e, co-authored with Peter de Smet, \u003cem\u003e Pilgrimage: A Very Short Introduction\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ePilgrimage in the Marketplace\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Shultz\u003c\/strong\u003e is Associate Professor of Asian Religion and Philosophy at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters concerning religion in contemporary Japan, including such topics as first-person pilgrimage accounts, new media and religion, and mountain ascetic practice.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 264\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.61 x 9.31 x 6.26 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 01, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53801683452211,"sku":"9780197573594","price":73.67,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/HM_r4W7qAX9780197573594.webp?v=1785975550","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/pilgrims-until-we-die-unending-pilgrimage-in-shikoku-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}