Shinto, environmentalism and informal diplomacy

Shinto, Environmentalism and Informal Diplomacy

This paper addresses the issue of how religious groups are engaged effectively in informal diplomacy in the era of the globalization of Asian religions. It considers the history of Shinto, Japan's nativist religion, in contemporary environmentalist and indigenist politics in the world beyond Japan's borders. A particular case is explored in detail: that of the activities of Shintoists among the Inuit people of Nunavut in Canada since the late 1990s. The Shinto community in Japan, burdened by the legacy of its wartime support for the cult of emperorship, has actively promoted itself as a "green" religion, something which it sees itself as having in common with the aboriginal peoples of the Americas. In this spirit, it has actively sought out links with native groups and has sent delegations to meet with their leaders overseas. In these meetings, shared customs (ancestor worship, for example) have been promoted as environmentalist and history conscious. In this process a global “nativist” and “green” cosmopolitan religious identity is created, that overrides national boundaries or cultural and linguistic difference. At issue is how a religious organization, that has identified with the nation-state, can be involved in informal diplomatic activities that promote instead international cooperation for the sake of both nostalgic cultural recuperation and the critique of capitalism and individualism.