Becoming a Muslim in Japan : The Journey of Faith and Identity / Elif Büşra Kocalan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kocalan, Elif Büşra, author.

Series:

Religion and the Social Order ; 31.

Religious Studies, Theology and Philosophy E-Books Online, Collection 2026.

Religion and the Social Order ; 31

Religious Studies, Theology and Philosophy E-Books Online, Collection 2026

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religious Studies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (209 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

The Journey of Faith and Identity

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2026.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

What draws someone to Islam in a country where few people even know a Muslim? In Becoming a Muslim in Japan , you meet 62 Japanese converts whose journeys defy common assumptions. Their stories are not about crisis, but curiosity. They speak of unexpected encounters, moments of reflection, or quiet admiration that gradually deepened into faith. Based on immersive fieldwork and interviews, this book shows how Islam is not adapted in isolation but interwoven with Japanese values. If you are interested in religion, identity, or cultural transformation, this book offers rare access to spiritual lives shaped across boundaries – personal, cultural, and national.

Contents:

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 Turning Points of Muslim Presence in Japan

1 The Ertugrul Incident

2 War with Russia – Tatar Refugees

3 Early Japanese Muslims

4 Early Mosques

5 Increasing Research on Islam before the World War II

6 Post-war Japanese Economy – Second Wave of Muslim Immigrants

2 Muslims and Islam in Contemporary Japan

1 Muslims Today

2 Perceptions on Islam

3 Religion and Identity in Japan

1 Secular Lives, Ritual Practices, and Ambient Religiosity

2 Diverse Paths of Religious Socialisation

3 Learning Religion through Cultural Transmission

4 Conversion to Islam in Japan

1 First Stage – the Memorable Encounter

2 Second Stage – the Evaluation Phase

3 Third Stage – Decision and Conversion

5 Between Tradition and Faith – the Japanese Muslim Identity

1 First Reactions

2 Invisible Religious Identity

3 Reconciling Identities without a Crisis

4 Japanese Identity and Belonging to Japanese Society

6 Life as a Japanese Muslim – Identity, Challenges, and Adaptation

1 Practical Challenges

2 Personal Challenges

3 Social Challenges

4 Reflecting on Japanese Society

7 Community and Belonging – the Role of Mosques and Muslim Networks

1 Participating in Events Organised by Mosques and Masjids

2 Barriers to Participation

3 Relations of Japanese Muslims and Immigrant Muslims

Conclusion

Appendices

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

90-04-75415-6

9789004754157

OCLC:

1569119639

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004754157 DOI