일본 신종교의 문화사업과 콘텐츠 -일본 창가학회(創價學會)의 활동을 중심으로-

Abstract

This study aims to introduce a case of Japanese new religion, concerning the cultural programs and contents of the religion and to investigate its characteristics. For this purpose, this study investigated the cultural programs and contents of Soka Gakkai, which secures the greatest number of believers among the new religions. Based on issues such as peace, environment and poverty that humanity faces in common, Soka Gakkai cultural programs develop varies social activities related to them. And yet, in these cultural programs, there is no strong religious color. In the meantime, the production of the Soka Gakkai contents is mainly targeted on its members instead of the general public. However, they have been produced in various forms so that the public can approach without any repulsion, e.g. Online store, cartoon, CM and video. In other words, direct or indirect religious activities are conducted through the contents. Like this, the cultural programs and contents of Soka Gakkai are implemented while the boundary between its religious activities and social activities for the public interest is vague. It is necessary to accept this phenomenon as a characteristic of the Japanese new religion, rather than clearly separating this vague boundary into religious activities and the activities for the public interest.