Material Religion inTranslational Encounters in Early Modern Japan

The paper sheds light on various forms of image appropriation and creation, viewing these as forms of translation processes. In contrast to approaches that highlight visually experienceable »transcendence,« this article examines the culturally determined image concepts and practices of a specific translational encounter. It considers image creation and practices during the active Catholic mission in Japan, beginning in 1549, as well as the practices of the hidden Christians after 1614, when Catholics in Japan faced more systematic persecution. The European-style Catholic material culture that the missionaries and traders transferred to Japan became increasingly entangled with the rich local material culture of Japanese Buddhism, the religious other. The paper discusses what the encounters with converts from a Buddhist background meant for the creation of Catholic material religion in Japan and related image practices. It introduces various European religious artifacts found in Japan, as well as Kirishitan (Japanese Christian) images, and classifies them into four ideal types of images: (1) imported, (2) re-produced, (3) indigenized and (4) re-used, re-semanticized. Type 4 has several distinct sub-types. The typology allows one to differentiate between various kinds of processes of the translation of material religion, and to trace paths of »alternative continuities« (Michel Espagne 2013) developed in the translational encounters in Japan.