Establishing Religion through Textbooks

Religions in Japan's "Ethics" Program

Abstract

In this chapter I will illustrate how Japanese textbooks are “establishing religion” by imposing demarcations and rankings among religions. Remarkably, the religion they are establishing is not State Shinto. The factors shaping the establishment of religion are quite complex and cannot be reduced to the single factor of the legacy of State Shinto. I will sort out pedagogical, ideological and business factors.