While almost everyone in Japan regularly participates in traditional

activities that are religious and spiritual in nature, it is perplexing

that only 20 to 30% of the population self-identify with a particular

religion. Several accounts have been offered to explain this discrepancy,

but these speculations had never been examined empirically. There

are several reasons as to why Japanese empirical scientists ignored the

topic for so long. One may be that Japanese scientists themselves are

too accustomed to the tradition to reflect upon the discrepancy. Since

even astute researchers may fail to recognize such a fertile field for empirical

research, the opportunities and venues to pursue this line of research

in Japanese academia have been scarce.

The Empirical Study of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

in Japan is a translated version of the original book, a collection

of chapters by scholars from different psychological disciplines. It is

the first book with an emphasis on empirical perspectives on the topic.

Thus, it is also the first book written in English in the field. This book

offers not only detailed empirical data, but also an examination of the

theories and ideologies that underlie contemporary understanding of

religion and spirituality in Japan.