Two of Japan's religious World Heritage sites currently ban women's access: the island Okinoshima (designated in 2017) and the Sanjōgatake peak of Mt. Ōmine (designated in 2004). Examining recent cultural imaginings of the two sites in light of historical records and lore pertaining to women's religious exclusion, this talk lays bare a disjuncture between putative ancient origins, observable present-day practices (i.e., lived religion), and selective heritage narratives. These cases draw attention to the conflicting agendas and competing versions of history embedded within Japan's religious landscape today; they also provide an opportunity to explore how religion and other social structures such as heritage, tradition, and gender operate and interact.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
10383 Bunche Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Dr. DeWitt received her PhD in Asian Languages & Cultures (Buddhist Studies) from UCLA in 2015. She is currently a Flanders Research Foundation (FWO) Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Buddhist Studies, Ghent University. DeWitt held a one-year appointment at Kyushu University as Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Humanities, and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences (JSPS). Her research aims to articulate the social and historical dimensions of Japanese Buddhism, especially as they relate to gender and sacred space.
Cost : Free and open to the public
UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies310-825-2089
buddhist@international.ucla.edu https://www.international.ucla.edu/buddhist
Download file: DeWitt-flyer2-CBS-mp-rmn.pdf