July 2009 to July 2010 - Religion and Politics in Contemporary Japan - page 185

mind, something that made the de show itself more clearly as

an historical product of discursive processes (Asad 2002: 116). In this way, it
seemed impossible to make a universal de

nition ' religion '

nition of what religion is, just as it
would be impossible to make a universal de

nition of what politics is. Cer-

tainly, it was di here as necessarily a more primitive

form of outmoded social organisation in light of its modern truer form of law,
politics and science (Asad 2002: 115).
Looking up again at the banner, whether especially hung up for the election
or not, as such banners are observable at many Soka Gakkai meetings, I lis-
tened and joined in the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-
renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, continued for some 15 minutes at a fast
and rhythmic pace. As the chanting stopped, the MC energetically called
upon all the divisions present

cult to de ne ' religion '

the young women, the young men, the
women, the men, and then all of Okinawa, to which an enthusiastic response
could be heard. We then watched a Komeito DVD that illustrated its political
objectives for the coming election. This including how Komeito supporters in
Tokyo won seats for all its candidates in the recent Tokyo Assembly election,
stressing their enormous e

-

ort. Then the subject of clean government came
up and the money scandals of former Minshut - President Ozawa Ichiro and
current President Hatoyama Yukio were stressed, together with a vague
reference to the LDP

s rather long history of money scandals. The message
was that supporters could be con

'

dent that Komeito (on the other hand) was

' '

living up to its name, . The DVD then explained its

various policies (the four points mentioned above), before the experience of a
cancer patient showed how she had been able to turn to her local Komeito
politician for help. This was clearly something that could

Clean Government Party

re up the support
of Soka Gakkai members in what had been their long-term goal of a com-
prehensive welfare and medical system. For Soka Gakkai members, common
sense dictated that they as individuals should strive to help people. The mes-
sages that followed about improving education and environmental protection
were equally things with which they could all agree.
There was a speech by a Young Men

s Division (YMD) leader who among
other things mentioned and explained the three points made by their mentor,
Ikeda, in his speech a few days before:

'

Danketsu, or unity, that is, unity based on each person deciding within
themselves that they are going to achieve victory;

Sut - to dasshu, or dash to achieve victory, that is take action now; and

Zettai ni katsu ichinen, continue to achieve personal victory through
human revolution for one year.

Then a Women a person clearly

appealing to the audience as she energetically and jokingly spoke about her
own campaign; everyone laughed as she made fun of her own e

' s Division (WD) leader gave a speech -

orts in the
election. She ended with the three points for victory, and with determining to