On this episode of Japan Station, author Hiroko Yoda joins us to talk about the complexities of religious and spirituality in Japan, a topic she covers in her new book Eight Million Ways to Happiness.

👉Topics Discussed

Why Hiroko Yoda was told to tell people she's Buddhist before going to the U.S. to study abroad
About "Yaoyorozu no kami"
About the history of the word for religion (shūkyō, 宗教) in Japanese
About the wide variety of Japan's "eight million gods"
Why Japanese people say they are not "religious"
The problem with surveys that ask Japanese people whether they are "religious"
About why Japanese people get married in the "Christian" style
Why Hiroko Yoda decided to write Eight Million Ways to Happiness
What Shugendō (修験道) is
About Shugendō practice
About the connection between Buddhism and funerals
Why funerals in Japan can be so expensive
About post-death Buddhist names
And much more!

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👉Links, Videos, Etc.

Eight Million Ways to Happiness： Wisdom for Inspir by Hiroko Yoda is available now wherever you get your books. You can also use the links below to get a copy.

And here's some other relevant links.

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Why "religion" in Japan doesn't make sense (to Westerners): A Talk with Hiroko Yoda | Japan Station 189