What are the similarities between Japanese people's ``Oshikatsu'' and religion, and what are the issues hidden there? 'Religion in Consumer Society: Fandom Culture” Attendance Report [CEDEC 2024]

On August 21, 2024, at the game developer conference "CEDEC 2024", Mr. Tami Yanagisawa, associate professor of the Faculty of Theology, Kwansei Gakuin University, gave a lecture titled "Religion in Consumer Society: Fandom Culture" A session entitled:

This is because of the similarities between Japanese fandom (a community formed by passionate fans) culture represented by "Oshikatsu" and religion, and the problems that emerge there. The content of the lecture is to explain what is important in order to be a religion.The speaker, Mr. Yanagisawa, was born in 1973 and has continued to study philosophy and Christian thought for many years, and in recent years has expanded his focus from the perspective of religious studies. There is a well-known review that points out the similarities between ``Oshikatsu'' and religion.

At first glance, it is a subject that seems difficult to relate directly to game development, but it includes an analysis of the concept of ``Oshi'', which also applies to characters in games and anime in general, and the psychology of users who spend large amounts of money on ``gacha'' in online games. It was an interesting session because it allowed us to get a glimpse of what lies at the root of things.

The background behind the spread of “Oshikatsu” in modern Japan

In the first half of the session, Mr. Yanagisawa explained the concept of "Sacred Values" (SACRED VALUES), which he positions as the foundation of the "Oshikatsu" culture.

In modern society where the market economy has prevailed, this is based on the assumptions that ``if you have money, you can get most things'', ``everything has a price, including human compassion and care'', and ``workers are replaceable''. It was born when people found it difficult to find value in their own lives. This is a concept proposed by American psychologist Philip Tetlock.

Things that fall into this category of "sacred values" are gods and religions, but Mr. Yanagisawa says that the psychology that makes religions exist also resides in things that are more familiar to us. The example given here is ``reselling novelty pens.'' People have no qualms about selling an ordinary pen, but if it is a pen they received as a souvenir of some sort, they may feel a sense of reluctance or emotional pain.
It is, so to speak, a state in which a special meaning is given to the pen, and to put it a little exaggeratedly, it can be said to be a state in which ``the object is regarded as sacred.''

Broadening our perspective from this point, we can see that values ​​that are generally considered sacred to humanity include "life," "family," and "love."For example, in the case of "life," organ trafficking, human trafficking, etc. are avoided. is the proof.
On the other hand, Mr. Yanagisawa points out that in modern times, many people have chosen not to get married, and the sacred view of the "family" has been shaken, and that these changing values ​​are the source of various conflicts that are difficult to reconcile. I followed up on the current situation.

The next interesting thing that was introduced was the result of a survey showing that Japanese people have a high sensitivity to ``sacredness.'' The survey, called the "Moral Foundations Survey," included a number of innocuous questions (such as "Do you like cats or dogs?" "Do you like Coca-Cola or Pepsi?") and occasionally questions about "God." This is a method of examining the parts of the brain that are activated through a test that incorporates the following: and an fMRI scan (survey using an MRI machine) of the subject during the test. It is said to be done worldwide.

In this survey, thinking patterns are divided into five categories and quantified.
First of all, the conclusion of a global survey is that people who have a strong liberal (rational) ideology tend to have lower ``holiness'' values, and conversely, people who have a conservative ideology tend to have average values ​​for each of the five items. was seen. However, in the case of Japanese people, even when clustered into liberals and conservatives, ``sacredness'' was found to be almost universally high, and Yanagisawa points out that this is a very interesting characteristic unique to the Japanese people. .



Yukio Mishima's thoughts are also taken up here as an example of a way of thinking that is unique to the Japanese.

Mishima spoke of his desire for dedication, saying, ``Human beings are not strong enough to live only for themselves and die only for themselves.'' He sought to die for a good cause and committed suicide at the age of 45, causing a great shock to society. However, the idea that ``Japanese people have lost common values'' that was raised at the time is an idea that still applies today.

As society loses values ​​that can be shared by many people, we are moving towards an era in which each individual discovers the "sacred values" mentioned earlier. Anthropologist Scott Atlan emphasizes that ``sacred values'' are especially necessary for young people.
Mr. Yanagisawa connected the story by saying that this is the reason why ``Oshikatsu'' has spread in modern Japan.

The “pretend play” aspect seen in the commonality between faith and “Oshikatsu” Since the 2010s, "Oshikatsu" has spread to all generations. However, Mr. Yanagisawa believes that with Japan as industrialized as it is today, we should be a little more cautious about promoting ``Oshikatsu'' too innocently.

Here, a detailed explanation was given of the similarities between ``Oshikatsu'' and religion, focusing on the structure in which both are like a grand
``pretend game''
. Some people may have felt that ``Oshikatsu'', which treats ``Oshikatsu'' such as characters and idols as sacred, is somehow religious-like, but in this part we will analyze this with specific examples of both sides. .


Among the specific examples of ``Oshikatsu'', there are things like making an ``altar'' that collects goods for the ``Oshi'' (characters, idols, etc.), and making a birthday cake for the ``Oshi'' (when the ``Oshi'' is not present). Despite this, there is an act of actually making something.
An example of a faith similar to this was introduced by an enthusiastic Christian sect called ``Evangelicalism''. There is a custom of pretending to have coffee with the Savior Jesus (despite the fact that it does not exist), and there is also a practice of ``creating your own reality and immersing yourself in it.'' Mr. Yanagisawa says that it is very similar to ``Oshikatsu.''

This is an evangelical custom that Mr. Yanagisawa interprets as a kind of "make-believe," but in order to properly understand this, it is necessary to explain the background, so we will provide an additional explanation of "what is evangelicalism?" was also held.
Here, I will explain that in America, where Christianity is very strong and has a wide variety of denominations, it can be divided into three groups (mainstream, evangelical, and black churches) based on the understanding of the Bible, apart from the classification of denominations. is one of them, and it is introduced that it is not the name of a specific sect, and that it is a group that is currently expanding.

Mr. Yanagisawa introduced the research on evangelicalism by cognitive anthropologist Tanya Rahman, based on the premise that knowing Christianity and evangelicalism will lead to research on ``Oshikatsu.'' A Japanese translation of Luhrmann's book ``HOW GOD BECOMES REAL'' by Mr. Yanagisawa (Japanese title ``Real Making: How God Becomes Real'') is scheduled to be published in November, and this session will discuss the book's contents. An explanation was given in the form of some excerpts.

This book takes as its starting point (Chapter 1) the idea that ``faith is a serious pretend game'' mentioned above, and continues in Chapter 2, ``In order to feel God and spirits in a real way, we need detailed written information.'' "A story full of detail makes the invisible world and the characters in it feel real by imagining it (including derivative works)," he said.
This is a point where there can be a similarity between the Bible in Christianity and the manga and anime that generate "push", and Mr. Yanagisawa also points out this point.

He then referred to the sociological concept of “parasocial” (pseudo-social relationships). This is the feeling of kinship that people feel toward someone they have seen on TV (although they have never met them in person). This concept is similar to belief in God and modern-day ``Oshikatsu,'' but the fact that people can create relationships with imaginary things can also be explained by these concepts.

Issues that are being asked by both game receivers and creators

Mr. Yanagisawa introduced the theme that concludes Luhrmann's ``HOW GOD BECOMES REAL'': When people begin to feel God and spirits in a real way, they begin to form emotional and personal relationships with them. Moreover, it is these ``relationships'' that have a major impact on society.
In other words, people can easily throw away their "beliefs" and "beliefs" depending on the trigger, but once they form a "relationship" with something imaginary, they can throw it away just as easily as relationships with their families and partners. This means that they will not be able to do so, and will be greatly affected by it.

Mr. Yanagisawa believes that it is precisely because ``Oshikatsu'' and faith form a ``relationship'' that they radically change people, and that this should be kept in mind both as a recipient (user) and as a creator (creator) of content. He expressed his opinion that this is something that should be put in place.

As the concluding topic of this session, the very nature of ``Oshikatsu'' (supporting something passionately or cheering for it) was once again touched upon.

According to Luhrmann's research, the idea that the ideal is the reality created by individuals having positive emotions was popular in America from the 1960s onwards. Mr. Yanagisawa says that this emotionally manipulative ideology and ``Oshikatsu'' are similar. The fact that ``reality depends on something unstable called emotions'' leads to endless pursuit of it, and as a result, there is a possibility that we become indifferent to the objective reality that many people share. I guess it can't be denied.
At this point, issues were also raised about the addictive nature of ``Oshikatsu'' and the risks involved.

Coupled with advances in AI and VR technology, we live in an era where the boundaries between reality and fiction are becoming increasingly blurred. Under such circumstances, how can we accept the universal "reality" (which is not necessarily a happy one) and live together? This is our current challenge. With these words, Mr. Yanagisawa concluded the session.

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