The need manifested by Japanese Buddhist organizations to present themselves as “modern” forces that are relevant to present-day society seems to be central in shaping their communication strategies. In this regard, one interesting aspect is represented by religious institutions’ attempts to “brand” themselves to enhance their profiles and visibility, specifically by drawing on popular culture formats. Based on fieldwork in Japan, I examine the use made by Japanese Buddhist institutions of these formats in their attempt to revive Buddhism and make its teachings attractive to an audience greater than the elderly parishioners who still maintain contact with their temples, mainly for funerary rites and other memorial rituals related to the ancestors.

This paper presents some observations on how the borders between the religious and the secular are perceived, blurred and reinterpreted at the community level in Kyoto. These reflections are based mainly on my extended fieldwork in the city, where I participated in and took note of the activities of two chōnaikai (neighborhood associations). I also observed and examined events related to the Gion matsuri, which takes place in July and is one of the three main festivals in Japan. The neighborhood associations play a pivotal role in Kyoto’s community life, and the boundaries between the religious and the secular very often remain indistinct due to the ambiguous character of the chōnaikai. In this context, I analyze some of the religious activities within the chōnai, such as taking care of the small votive shrine dedicated to the bodhisattva Jizō, and events related to Shintō. With regard to local festivals, I explore religious and secular aspects of the Gion matsuri, an event that attracts crowds of visitors from all over Japan and abroad, which offers the opportunity to investigate the intermingling of religion and business, local government, culture and tourism.

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