Liquid Life

Abortion and Buddhism in Japan

By: William R. LaFleur

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Paperback | 16 January 1995

At a Glance

Paperback
280 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
25.4 x 19.6 x 1.27

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Why would a country strongly influenced by Buddhism's reverence for life allow legalized, widely used abortion? Equally puzzling to many Westerners is the Japanese practice of mizuko rites, in which the parents of aborted fetuses pray for the well-being of these rejected "lives." In this provocative investigation, William LaFleur examines abortion as a window on the culture and ethics of Japan. At the same time he contributes to the Western debate on abortion, exploring how the Japanese resolve their conflicting emotions privately and avoid the pro-life/pro-choice politics that sharply divide Americans on the issue.

Industry Reviews

"This is a first-rate cross-cultural study, taking the reader to the heart of another society's beliefs and practices."--Mark Archer, The Sunday Telegraph "Both Buddhism and abortion flourish in modern Japan: the link between them is death. William LaFleur explains how this has come about, and in doing so provides an unusual insight into the character of modern Japan, where death is a big-money operation both for medicine and for religion."--Thomas Crump, London Review of Books "Objective, informed, observant, and imaginative. William LaFleur not only enlarges our knowledge, he also uses his single topic to illuminate a broad and fundamental feature of Japanese society itself."--Donald Richie, Japan Times Weekly

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Religion & Beliefs Buddhism Medicine Medicine in General Public Health & Preventive Medicine Personal & Public Health / Health Education Birth Control Society & Culture Ethical Issues & Debates Ethical Issues of Abortion & Birth Control Cultural Studies

History Regional & National History Asian History

List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Original Concepts
Behind the Great Buddha	p. 3
A World of Water and Words	p. 14
Social Death, Social Birth	p. 30
Jizo at the Crossroads	p. 44
Historical Processes
Edo: An Era in View	p. 69
Edo: Population	p. 89
Edo: Polemics	p. 103
Sex, War, and Peace	p. 119
Contemporary Issues
Apology	p. 143
Moral Swamps	p. 160
A Rational, National Family	p. 177
Crossovers	p. 198
Conclusion	p. 214
Appendix: "The Way to Memorialize One's Mizuko"	p. 221
Notes	p. 225
Bibliography	p. 243
Index	p. 253
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Liquid Life

Abortion and Buddhism in Japan

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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