Suicide and Brain Death: A Study of Contemporary Japanese Spirituality and Identity

Abstract

In this article, the author discusses the spiritual crisis facing contemporary Japanese people. First, the author deals with how modernization has pervaded Japanese people and how it has affected their attitude toward religion, as well as their identity in the context of history. Starting from the characterization of the coexistence of Buddhism and Shintoism, the author explores Japanese spirituality and the sense of self. Then, the problems of suicide and brain death are dealt with, with reference to the discussion of identity. These problems will be discussed because each one throws some doubt on the values of highly modernized contemporary society. By shedding light on these issues, the author describes how the spirituality of Japanese people is at stake.