The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan Book

Despite the official goodreads comment "First published September 15th 1999", this book was published in 1975 after the author spent over a decade researching the work including talking to practitioners and taking part in their practices. She sadly notes that the practices had been dying out since before she started looking into them, and continued to decline during the period of her research.

As the review below states, there isn't much history in this book. The author is more concerned about what was going on while she was there. But she does include historical material and contrast it with what's happening in her present. She goes back to early accounts, such as the first written account of Japan and the queen/shaman Pimiko. Due to a paucity of sources, there is little to reference between then and the founding of Shugendou, a syncretic Shinto/Buddhist ascetic group from the 7th century. She sees shugendou as the vehicle of transmission of shamanism throughout much of Japanese history, and when the movement was banned between 1870 and 1945, much of that knowledge and experience was lost. After its revival in post-war Japan, a lack of initiates willing to undertake the brutal training of fasts, sleep deprivation, and repeated ice-water dousings in the middle of winter means that the number of practitioners has continued to fall. Their isolated holy spots are also falling prey to commercialism, and she recounts how one of the most famous sites she visited during her research had already been turned into a sterile tourist trap by the end of it.

Ms Blacker is definitely a believer in what she recounts. Whether you see that as an asset or a liability to her book is up to you. She has seen people walk on fire and swords, levitate in the air while possessed, and talk to and cast out spirits.

If the topic interests you, then you must read this book. There is nothing else like it, and with the decline of shamanism in Japan, it's unlikely anyone will ever be able to write such a book again.