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The Buddha Mummies of North Japan
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Filmmaker Name:
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Shayne Dahl, Satoshi Watanabe
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Film Length:
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20 min
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Film Year:
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2017
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Duration:
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0-20 min
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Decade:
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2010s
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Language:
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Japanese
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Subtitle Language:
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English subtitles
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Color:
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color
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Region:
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Asia
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Subject:
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Religion and Spirituality
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At select temples throughout northeastern Japan, the robed bodies of
self-mummified Buddhist monks are worshipped as “Living Buddhas.” They
are thought to heal the sick, protect the living, and continue to
inspire monks with the intense dedication of their ascetic discipline
centuries before. The Buddha Mummies of North Japan includes interviews
with the monks who attend to these “Living Buddhas,” descriptions of the
dieting regime and austerities required in order to self-mummify, and a
rare redressing ritual in which the robes of the mummies are cut into
talismans for devotees.
This is the first independent
documentary to capture these mummified monks on film, to observe key ceremonies
of their 12-year ritual cycle, and to present interviews with leading scholars
on this rare form of contemporary Buddhism.
"Combining ascendant global proclivities toward nature and spirituality alongside the inherent stunning visuals, the historical layers, interwoven doctrines, and surrounding socio-demographic challenges of the subject (rural depopulation, an aging society, declining parishes) offer filmmakers—several of whom are scholars in the field—ample material to explore."
- Caleb Carter, Kyushu University, Religion and Society 2021 Reviews
"The film is particularly suitable for undergraduate and graduate
classes in Japanese studies and Cultural Anthropology, since it deals with
topics such as asceticism, Esoteric Buddhism, and folk religion in Japan,
as well as anthropological themes such as materiality and devotional
practices. Also, Religious Studies courses covering subjects such as death
and the afterlife could widely benefit from the content."
- Filippo Pedretti, Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies
SELECTED AWARDS AND SCREENINGS
Best Cinematography, Documentary Short Film
Festival, Toronto, 2018
Best Documentary, University of Toronto Film
Festival, 2017
Society for the Anthropology of Religion
Biennial Conference, Toronto, 2019
Association of Asian Studies Annual Meeting,
Washington, D. C., 2018
[ <script/style> code inserted at beginning of text ]
Awards
Best Cinematography, Documentary Short Film
Festival, Toronto, 2018
Best Documentary, University of Toronto Film
Festival, 2017
Festival/Conference Screenings
Society for the Anthropology of Religion
Biennial Conference, Toronto, 2019
Documentary Short Film Festival, Toronto, 2018
Moving Towards Ethnographic Hallucinations Film
Expo, Contrapunteo: The Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) and The Society
for Applied Anthropology joint conference. Casa Dranguet, Santiago de Cuba,
Cuba, 2018
Association of Asian Studies Annual Meeting,
Washington, D. C., 2018.
Tokyo Docs (Short Documentary Showcase), 2017
"The Message is the Medium": Media and Mediation
in Archaeology, North American Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) Annual
Meeting, University of Toronto, 2017.
University of Toronto Film Festival, 2017
Research in Religious Studies Conference,
University of Lethbridge, 2017
Credits
Masatake
Suzuki, PhD
Andrea Castiglioni, PhD
Endo Yugaku
Shinko Miura
With special thanks to Dainichi-bo and Churenji
Producer: Shayne A. P. Dahl, PhD
Camera: Koichi Sato, Satoshi Watanabe
Translator: Stephen Robertson, DPhil
Director: Satoshi Watanabe
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