Kanjō (guàndǐng in Chinese and abhiṣeka in Sanskrit) were consecration rituals held in a variety of settings in medieval Japan, including monastic consecration, the transmission of religious and artistic knowledge, and the enthronement of the emperor. This volume builds upon the papers presented during a 2018 conference held in Santa Barbara, California. Eighteen scholars write on the historical development of the kanjō: its Indian origins, its transformation in China, its arrival to Japan, and further developments up to the modern era.
After a short preface, the book opens with a general introduction by the editors presenting the general historical guidelines of the ceremonies in medieval Japan (twelfth to sixteenth centuries). The inclusion of kanji (logographic characters) for dubious terms helps scholars who might be fluent in the language but not necessarily well-versed in medieval Japanese history or the history of Esoteric Buddhism.
In the first section of the collection, four chapters assess the earliest developments of the practice in India, China, and Tibet. Originally performed to enthrone kings in South Asia, the ceremonies were later adopted by Buddhist monks, notably those in the Tantric/Esoteric tradition. David White and Mori Masahide analyze the multiple meanings of the original Indian abhiṣeka, while Dominic Steavu's and Adam Krug's takes on Chinese Buddhist and Tibetan consecration rituals explore the various exchanges between the ceremonies and local religious practices.
The second part of the book is divided into three chapters on imperial consecration. Susan Blakeley Klein's chapter analyzes the role of a poet, Fujiwara no Tameaki, in transforming secret enthronement rituals in medieval and premodern Japan. Matsumoto Ikuyo's study discusses modern interpretations of the enthronement ceremony and the transformation of the relationship between the imperial court and Buddhism.
The third part presents eight chapters dealing with the kanjō in various medieval Japanese religious traditions, including Tendai Buddhism and Shugendō. Abe Yasurō's analysis of the cultural history of the rite details how it was recreated in Japan, while disputing the notion that enthronement ceremonies were a sign of “secularization of religion” (226). Itō Satoshi investigates the little explored forms of Shintō consecration, showing how Buddhist kanjō impacted the transmission of secret mythologies, arts, and pilgrimage practices. Or Porath explores the kanjō as a form of ritualization of male-male sexuality in medieval Tendai.
The last three chapters approach consecration ceremonies in the arts, namely poetry and music. Unno Keisuke's chapter delves into the transmission of the secret teachings of the Kokin wakashū, a foundational compendium of poetry, and how Buddhist patriarchs and mantras were substituted by illustrious poets and waka verses. Inose Chihiro analyzes the rarely performed Biwa kanjō, the ritual for transmitting secret music composed for the Japanese lute biwa, while Fabio Rambelli ends the book with a study on the politics of court music and the secret pieces composed for the mouth organ shō.
Multiple forms of kanjō were abandoned, created, adapted, and transformed according to the waves generated by the uses and reception of various intellectual and religious traditions in Japan. Going beyond national borders and the traditional limits of Japanese studies, the volume is a propitious initiative for those interested in the transnational connections of the development not only of the consecration ceremonies but also of Japanese religious practices in general. The vast bibliography closing the book is a great resource for those inclined to follow the numerous research paths suggested by the authors. Despite its heavy focus on the medieval period, the essays offer a much-needed panorama of the research done by Japanese historians of religion in the last decade, especially Mori Masahide and Matsumoto Ikuyo. With little space dedicated to general contextualization, the straight-to-the-point interdisciplinary approach adopted by the authors and the editors is particularly commendable.
