La grotta vera: quando una camera segue lo speleologo. Ricercadi nuovi spazi comunicativi nella cinematografia speleologica

Quando la videocamera accompagna uno speleologo, e non un regista, la realtà è meglio di qualsiasi format documentario. La tecnologia ora ce lo permette.When the camcorder accompanies a speleologist and not a director, the result is better than any type of documentary format. Technology now allows us to do this

Researching Shamanism in Contemporary Japan

This paper takes its cue from Massimo Raveri’s studies and interests, especially concerning Japanese shamanic practitioners and the relationship between media and religion. By further broadening his analysis with more recent data, this paper suggests how a study of contemporary Japanese shamanism could be undertaken, within the theoretical framework offered by critical discourse analysis. Through the suggested examination of the multiple discourses on shamans conducted in peripheral and central areas of the country, it would be possible to reach a better understanding of both shamanism and contemporary society, overcoming essentialist views

Itineraries of an Anthropologist. Studies in Honour of Massimo Raveri

This book is being dedicated to Massimo Raveri on the occasion of his retirement. It is designed to recreate the various thematic itineraries that he has traced and followed in his career. Each of the essays included represents a topic in which Prof. Raveri has shown great interest, paving the way for further studies. In offering these essays to him, his friends and colleagues are both bearing witness to his interest in such topics and contributing to their study. Contributions by former students of Prof. Raveri’s further show how these fields of study are being developed in his footsteps

Introduction

This volume is a Festschrift in honour of Massimo Raveri, Honorary Professor of Japanese Religions at the Department of Asian and North-African Studies at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. This wide-ranging collection features essays that pay homage to his extensive academic interests and his interdisciplinary approach to the study of classical and contemporary Japanese religions. It is a tribute by friends and colleagues wishing to express their esteem and affection towards a scholar who, over the course of his long career, has shared many research experiences with them, in a spirit of unfailing support and collaboration

Sciamani urbani. Rintracciando un nuovo discorso nel Giappone contemporaneo

Cosa vuol dire essere uno ‘sciamano’ a Tokyo oggi? In che modo è rappresentato il ruolo dell’attore sciamanico a livello popolare? Perché risaltano determinate caratteristiche e non altre? Ricercare una risposta a queste domande porta molto presto a rendersi conto della presenza di un discorso in particolare, (ri)costruibile e delimitabile prendendo in esame le diverse narrazioni che stanno al suo interno e che portano alla formazione di un determinato tipo di conoscenza sul tema che è condivisa da una determinata comunità. L’elemento centrale di questo lavoro è proprio l’analisi del discorso che emerge dal contesto metropolitano, con attenzione all’uso dei termini e alle modalità con cui alcuni attori basano su essi la loro interpretazione della realtà. Termini che, come molti altri nel campo di studi delle religioni, si rivelano essere costruiti storicamente, socialmente e culturalmente

Introduzione

The structure of this volume is designed to make the reader relive the experience of the International Japan Contemporary Arts Festival in Venice, The Aesthetics of Emptiness, also through the video-recordings of the various events that can be accessed using the qr codes, and lead him or her to explore some of the themes that emerged

Artistic Representations of Urban Shamans in Contemporary Japan: Texts, Inter-actions and Efficacy

This paper investigates how Japanese urban shamanic actors and their roles are constructed and represented by artists in different texts. Three case studies – writer Taguchi Randy, contemporary artist Mori Mariko, and musician Sugee – are presented to illustrate the processes of re-appropriation of terms and themes in the contemporary narrative on urban shamans. The use of the word shāman – with new meanings attached – and the role of connecting humans with other-than-human entities – and especially with nature – are analysed. Moreover, the connection to the so-called ‘new spirituality’ is emphasised