Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Tristan Grunow of UBC to talk with him about religious responses to the Meiji political transition. In a conversation that hinges on the keyword anxiety, we talked about Buddhist responses to the new political organization of the Meiji regime, how Buddhists situated themselves vis-à-vis Shintō, whether (or when) it makes sense to talk about “State Shintō,” Occupation democratizing reforms, and even a little bit about my first book on manga, anime, and religion in contemporary Japan.

You can listen to the podcast below.

Citation: Jolyon Thomas, interview with Tristan Grunow, The Meiji at 150 Podcast, podcast audio, February 22, 2019. https://meijiat150.podbean.com/e/episode-96-dr-jolyon-thomas-penn/.