85. THE ROLE OF ESOTERIC BUDDHISM IN
CONTEMPORARY JAPAN:
WHETHER ESOTERICISM APPEARS OR REMAINS
CONCEALED IN THE WORLD DEPENDS ON THE
TREND OF THE TIMES
Thierry RobouamReflecting on contemporary Japan includes the risk that an article,
when published, will already be history. Here, I offer a brief reflection
on the notion of “contemporary” from my standpoint, which is in
Japan. This is followed by a description of how the different esoteric
traditions in Japan find themselves involved in the weaving of contem-
porary Japan. The last section shows how contemporary scholarship
plays an important role in the deconstruction of mainstream discourse
and representations of Japanese esoteric Buddhism.
In the present contribution, the “contemporary” is not to be under-
stood as one segment of a linear development of history. In Japan, the
contemporary is the interface between fossilized positions and emerg-
ing dispositions. For example, the recent and rapid changes in China’s
economic development have forced the Japanese to reconsider their
positions on China. The new positions in the making do not necessar-
ily imply a sense of change; more often they include a positive affir-
mation that the new positions are what Japan has always held on the
subject. In brief, the contemporary in Japan is the constant making
(and re-making) of the Japanese-ness of its positions.
Since the time of Kūkai, Saichō, and their early disciples, the Bud-
dhist esoteric traditions have found themselves involved in the constant
weaving of positions and their legitimacy, since contributing to the
making of a Japanese ethos comes in part from that role. For example,
a recent work edited by Yoshihara Hiroto and Wang Yong
(2008) shows how the Tendai tradition has constantly partici-
pated in the construction of Japanese culture. Needless to say, esoteric
Buddhism is not the most influential factor shaping the form and open-
endedness of contemporary Japan. No single tradition, whether reli-
gious, philosophical, or scientific, can be acknowledged as the favored
source of insights for guiding the Japanese in their decisions. However,