Religion, Gender and Social Progress in the Age of Covid-19: Notes from Japan

Japan is considered a very secular country where individuals enjoy religious freedom and diversity. Religious freedom and a certain extent of secularity are what Ammerman and Davie deem as conditions for social progress to happen (Ammerman and Davie 2018: 12), including progress in gender equality and women’s democratic participation. This paper will test such a social progress thesis and discuss the state of gender equality progress in Japan in relation to its alleged secularity. In particular, I am interested in how structural secularism that coexists with diffused everyday lived religion relates to women’s wellbeing and their societal roles. I will also discuss how women affiliates can find in religion a space where they can discuss their views of womanhood, women’s roles and rights to respond to the pressing neoliberal socio-economic transformations and Japan’s acute socio-demographic crisis of the past two decades.