HIROSE Koujirou

Staff Members

Professor
Department of Advanced Human Sciences

Research Specialization	Japanese religious history, folklore
Individual Research Projects	An Anthropological Study of the Concept of ‶ Barrier-Free″

I have been studying the history of new religions in Modern Japan, especially I am interested in Omotokyo. I have been also doing my fieldwork on biwa-hoshi (blind minstrel) and itako (blind shaman). Now I have started the new research on Reiyukai, one of the greatest Buddhism sects based on documents and interviews. In my study on new religions, I have focused on the welfare work of each religious society. I have also continued my fieldwork on blind religionists or biwa (lute) players in Japan. Besides this, I will try anthropological methodology on the handicapped culture. I am planning the inquiry into the occupation, life-style and history of the disabled in the U.S.A. and various countries. This comparative study will be very useful for the promotion of “barrier-free” or “universal design” system of museums.

Japan, Tohoku, Kyushu, Kyoto, Japanese, History, Religion, Welfare, Culture

2010	Various Possibilities of “Braille Power”: In Search of the New Image of Louis Braille in the 21^st Century. MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter 30: 10–11.
2010	The Richness of Touch: The Paradoxical Meanings of Disability in Japanese Culture. THE EAST ASIAN LIBRARY JOURNAL 13 (2): 59–85. Princeton University.
2006	Universal Museum: Efforts to Create and Passions for Opening. Mimpaku Anthropology Newsletter 23: 13.
2006	Touch and Grow Rich: You Can Touch Our Museum! Mimpaku Anthropology Newsletter 22: 10.
2003	Reconsidering Japanese Religious History: The Aum Incident and Blind Culture in Modern Japan. The Journal of the International Institute. University of Michigan.
2003	“Judo” or “Aikido”: Propagation Strategies of Tenrikyo in the United States. Progress. Tenrikyo Mission New York Center.
1997	The Cosmology of Mind and Body. Orient (July). Florida, U.S.A.