‘Seen’ as religious: social and institutional invisibility of Risshō Kōseikai’s youth

Abstract

ABSTRACT This contribution investigates how young members of the Japanese lay Buddhist group Risshō Kōseikai have constructed their identity as a minority within both a society increasingly disengaged from religion and a rapidly ageing religious organisation. I argue that younger members of Kōseikai experience a condition of double ‘invisibility’ stemming from the intersection of outward and inward marginalisation. Kōseikai youths’ social interactions are informed by a fear of ‘being seen as religious’ resulting from widespread mistrust and negative public perceptions of religion (and new religions in particular). This has translated into a reticence to disclose their religiosity outside the congregation for fear of encountering prejudice and discrimination. But they also experience marginalisation as a minority within a rapidly ageing religious institution. Kōseikai youth have struggled to reconcile the high expectations of senior members with competing commitments and a lack of influence and decision-making power, which has curtailed their capacity for action and religious agency. Members of the older generation, often oblivious to shifting social circumstances and weakening religious commitment among youth, have resisted young members’ calls for change. Invisibility, however, has not only been suffered but also consciously chosen by members, thus reinforcing their marginalisation.