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Shinichi Nakazawa

なかざわ しんいち

Nakazawa Shinichi

Aliases: 中澤 新一

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1950-05-28 （Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Yamanashi City, Yamanashi, Japan → Tokyo, Japan → Kathmandu, Nepal

Career

Occupations
religious historian, cultural anthropologist, author, university professor, public intellectual
Active Years
1975-
Affiliations
Tama Art University — Institute of Art Anthropology (Founding Director), Chuo University — Faculty of Policy Studies, Professor (1993–2006), The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies — Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Research Assistant (1983–1993), Meiji University — Institute for Wild Science (Founder/Director)
Influenced By
Claude Lévi-Strauss, Philippe Descola, Jacques Lacan, Gilles Deleuze, Minakata Kumagusu, Shinobu Orikuchi, Hajime Tanabe, Yoshihiko Amino

Education

University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters / Department of Religious History
Country: Japan
Enrolled in a doctoral program but left after completing the period without obtaining the degree
Waseda University
Faculty of Letters
Country: Japan
Initially enrolled at Waseda; after a period as a 'kanmen-ronin' transferred to the University of Tokyo

Awards

Suntory Academic Award
1984
Work: Tibet's Mozart
Category: 思想・歴史部門
Organization: Suntory
Result: 受賞
Best Dresser Award (20th)
1991
Category: 学術・文化部門
Organization: Best Dresser Awards
Result: 受賞
Yomiuri Literature Prize
1993
Work: The Baroque of the Forest
Category: 評論・伝記賞
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Saito Ryoku-u Prize
1996
Work: Philosophy of Tohoku
Organization: Saito Ryoku-u Prize
Result: 受賞
Ito Sei Literary Award
2001
Work: Philosophia Japonica
Category: 評論部門
Organization: Ito Sei Literary Award
Result: 受賞
Kobayashi Hideo Award
2004
Work: Symmetry Anthropology (Cahiers Sauvages V)
Organization: Kobayashi Hideo Award
Result: 受賞
Takeo Kuwabara Award for Academic Achievement
2006
Work: Earth Diver
Organization: Takeo Kuwabara Award
Result: 受賞
Minakata Kumagusu Prize
2016
Work: Earth Diver (and others)
Category: 人文の部
Organization: Minakata Kumagusu Prize
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tibet's Mozart

1983 Humanities (religion / cultural anthropology)

Connects Tibetan tantric Buddhism with structuralist perspectives; an early representative work that gained wide attention in contemporary intellectual discourse.

Tibetan Buddhismstructuralismreligious anthropologystates of consciousness

The Baroque of the Forest

1992 Humanities (thought / history)

A study centered on Minakata Kumagusu that reads Japanese folklore and intellectual history from a distinctive perspective; a civilization-level reflection and recipient of the Yomiuri Literature Prize.

folkloreintellectual historyMinakata Kumagusuviews of nature

Thirty Thousand Years of Teachings on Death — The World of the Tibetan 'Book of the Dead'

1993 Scholarly work (religion / thought)

Discusses the Tibetan 'Bardo Thödol' (Nyingma) and Dzogchen thought, exploring Tibetan conceptions of death and their intellectual significance. Nakazawa wrote the script for the NHK Special on the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Tibetan views on life and deathNyingma traditionDzogchenintellectual history of the mind
Adaptations
  • [TV documentary] NHK Special: The Tibetan Book of the Dead (1993)

Earth Diver

2005 civilization theory / geomorphology

Examines the formation of cities and cultures through the lens of geomorphology and history; reached a broad readership and stimulated interest in landscapes.

landformsurban theorycultural genesisnature and civilization

Symmetry Anthropology — Cahiers Sauvages V

2004 academic essays (anthropology / thought)

Contains comprehensive essays on Nakazawa's proposed 'symmetry anthropology' and forms part of an interdisciplinary series.

symmetryanthropologymyth and religion

Bibliography

  • Tibet's Mozart
  • The Snowflake Curve Theory
  • The Baroque of the Forest
  • Thirty Thousand Years of Teachings on Death — The World of the Tibetan 'Book of the Dead'
  • The Beginning of Lenin
  • Philosophy of Tohoku
  • Philosophia Japonica
  • Earth Diver
  • Symmetry Anthropology — Cahiers Sauvages (collected)
  • Wild Science

Adaptations

  • NHK Special: The Tibetan Book of the Dead (supervised/scripted by Nakazawa)
  • Film: Chigasaki Monogatari ~My Little Hometown~ (appearance)

Translations by Author

  • Circus — Semiotics of Acrobatics and Animal Acts (trans.)
  • Namazu-e — The World of Popular Imagery (co-trans.)
  • Tibetan Saint Milarepa (trans.)
  • The Dalai Lama Speaks of Jesus (trans.)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
interdisciplinaryessayistic narrativepractical and philosophical prose
Recurring Motifs
religious thoughtmyth and folklorerelations between nature and civilizationTibetan Buddhism (Dzogchen)symmetry

Legacy

A prominent public intellectual in contemporary thought and anthropology who has stimulated interdisciplinary debate through works such as 'Symmetry Anthropology' and 'Earth Diver.' His public reception has been complex and contested, in part due to criticism over his past statements and associations related to Aum-related matters.

Academic Societies

  • Tama Art University — Institute of Art Anthropology
  • Meiji University — Institute for Wild Science (involved in founding)

Archives

  • Shinichi Nakazawa Archive (personal website / blog)
  • Tama Art University — Faculty publications database (Nakazawa-related materials)

In Popular Culture

  • Became known to the general public through appearances on NHK Specials and other media
  • Delivered lecture series and public-facing essays (e.g., on 'Hobo Nichi Itoi Shimbun')
  • Authored works engaging with pop culture, such as 'The Wild in the Pocket — Pokémon and Children'

Quotes

  • I thought I had done my best to prevent this from happening, but my efforts were insufficient. Therefore, I'll put an end to 'Shinichi Nakazawa the religious-studies scholar.' That person is dead.
    Source: Weekly Playboy (interview) (1995)
  • The experiences I gained through practice in Tibetan tantric Buddhism have greatly shaped my thought.
    Source: Writings and interviews (general)

Trivia

  • His wife is the translator Keiko Kawaguchi.
  • While in graduate school he traveled to Nepal to practice Tibetan tantric Buddhism.
  • Early works such as 'The Rainbow Staircase' were discussed in relation to Aum Shinrikyo.
  • Shows strong interest in Japanese traditional scholars such as Minakata Kumagusu and Shinobu Orikuchi.