Levi McLaughlin
@levimclaughlin.bsky.social
Professor, Philosophy and Religious Studies, North Carolina State University
n the coming days, I'll be working on a proper op-ed reflecting on the political upheaval triggered by Komeito's split with its long-time Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) partner. In the meantime, I'll share some updates (thread)
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
n the coming days, I'll be working on a proper op-ed reflecting on the political upheaval triggered by Komeito's split with its long-time Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) partner. In the meantime, I'll share some updates (thread)
Now this is a sign of political shifts: on Komeito's YouTube and Instagram pages, party leader Saitō Tetsuo meets with Kamei Shizuka, veteran LDP politician and leader within the Shigatsukai (April Society), a movement once aimed at Komeito and Soka Gakkai.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8nZ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8nZ...
【激白】「私は公明党を潰そうとした...」反公明のドン・亀井静香が語る公明党潰しの真実とは！？
YouTube video by 公明党のサブチャンネル
www.youtube.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Now this is a sign of political shifts: on Komeito's YouTube and Instagram pages, party leader Saitō Tetsuo meets with Kamei Shizuka, veteran LDP politician and leader within the Shigatsukai (April Society), a movement once aimed at Komeito and Soka Gakkai.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8nZ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8nZ...
Reposted by Levi McLaughlin
In a free edition of the Japan Daily Briefing — I’m starting “free Fridays” — I look more at the causes and effects of Kōmeitō’s break with the LDP and discuss Ishiba’s reflections on the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II.
open.substack.com/pub/observin...
open.substack.com/pub/observin...
The end of the coalition | Japan Daily Briefing
As the coalition breaks, Ishiba delivers an impassioned defense of democracy
open.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:25 PM
In a free edition of the Japan Daily Briefing — I’m starting “free Fridays” — I look more at the causes and effects of Kōmeitō’s break with the LDP and discuss Ishiba’s reflections on the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II.
open.substack.com/pub/observin...
open.substack.com/pub/observin...
Friends in Soka Gakkai have been circulating this analysis by Ide Eisaku, Keio University economist, which breaks down policy resonances between Komeito, Soka Gakkai, Japan's most powerful union, and opposition parties (thread to follow):
www.facebook.com/share/p/17Aq...
www.facebook.com/share/p/17Aq...
Redirecting...
www.facebook.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Friends in Soka Gakkai have been circulating this analysis by Ide Eisaku, Keio University economist, which breaks down policy resonances between Komeito, Soka Gakkai, Japan's most powerful union, and opposition parties (thread to follow):
www.facebook.com/share/p/17Aq...
www.facebook.com/share/p/17Aq...
Japan, ostensibly one of the least religious countries in the world, had its political order upended by the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. That is THE story about Friday's epochal shift in Japanese politics (thread follows):
October 10, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Japan, ostensibly one of the least religious countries in the world, had its political order upended by the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. That is THE story about Friday's epochal shift in Japanese politics (thread follows):
Big upheaval in Japanese politics. Today (Japan time), after a ninety minute meeting between Saitō, head of Komeito, and Takaichi, the LDP politician who recently won her party’s presidency, Saitō announced an end to their parties’ 26-year-long coalition agreement.
October 10, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Big upheaval in Japanese politics. Today (Japan time), after a ninety minute meeting between Saitō, head of Komeito, and Takaichi, the LDP politician who recently won her party’s presidency, Saitō announced an end to their parties’ 26-year-long coalition agreement.
Tensions between the LDP and Komeito have been building over recent years, but Japan's ruling coalition has hit a crucial stage. The combo of Takaichi at the helm, plummeting election results for Komeito, a Soka Gakkai base that's facing its own existential crises after Ikeda Daisaku...a new era.
With the LDP and Kōmeitō at odds, sharing my conversation with @levimclaughlin.bsky.social from after the upper house elections.
observingjapan.substack.com/p/the-past-p...
observingjapan.substack.com/p/the-past-p...
The past, present, and future of Kōmeitō
A conversation with Levi McLaughlin
observingjapan.substack.com
October 9, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Tensions between the LDP and Komeito have been building over recent years, but Japan's ruling coalition has hit a crucial stage. The combo of Takaichi at the helm, plummeting election results for Komeito, a Soka Gakkai base that's facing its own existential crises after Ikeda Daisaku...a new era.
I'm under no illusions that what publish isn't feeding the AI beast no matter the measures we take, but I've deleted everything I uploaded to academia.edu and I've erased my account there. Even by today's dystopian standards, academia.edu's new terms and conditions are beyond the pale.
Academia.edu - Find Research Papers, Topics, Researchers
Academia.edu is the platform to share, find, and explore 50 Million research papers. Join us to accelerate your research needs & academic interests.
academia.edu
September 22, 2025 at 1:23 PM
I'm under no illusions that what publish isn't feeding the AI beast no matter the measures we take, but I've deleted everything I uploaded to academia.edu and I've erased my account there. Even by today's dystopian standards, academia.edu's new terms and conditions are beyond the pale.
Always a pleasure to speak with Tobias. Enjoyed our conversation:
One of the most important developments in Japan’s upper house elections was the continuing decline of Kōmeitō, the LDP’s junior coalition partner. I talked with @levimclaughlin.bsky.social about the party’s decline and the future of its role in Japanese politics. open.substack.com/pub/observin...
The past, present, and future of Kōmeitō
A conversation with Levi McLaughlin
open.substack.com
July 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Always a pleasure to speak with Tobias. Enjoyed our conversation:
I'm quoted a bunch in this SCMP piece released before polls closed on the Upper House race now being counted in Japan. This is a crucial point for the governing Liberal Democratic Party / Komeito coalition.
www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...
www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...
Japan upper house election: Ishiba accepts ‘harsh result’, says to stay on as PM
The ruling LDP-led coalition is likely to lose its majority in the upper house, with exit polls projecting it may only win 41 seats.
www.scmp.com
July 20, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I'm quoted a bunch in this SCMP piece released before polls closed on the Upper House race now being counted in Japan. This is a crucial point for the governing Liberal Democratic Party / Komeito coalition.
www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...
www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...
On Sunday, I'll be on "Sunday," the BBC Radio 4 show about religion, providing context about the Unification Church in Japan following the Tokyo District Court's decision to remove legal status from the group. Just after 7 am live in the UK, then maybe at this link:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
BBC Radio 4 - Sunday
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week
www.bbc.co.uk
March 28, 2025 at 4:28 PM
On Sunday, I'll be on "Sunday," the BBC Radio 4 show about religion, providing context about the Unification Church in Japan following the Tokyo District Court's decision to remove legal status from the group. Just after 7 am live in the UK, then maybe at this link:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
On March 12, I'll join a conference at the University of Bristol that reflects on the 3.11 disasters in Japan. The conference brings together artists and scholars and includes screenings of documentaries by French and Japanese documentarians.
theartofrecovery.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
theartofrecovery.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
The Art of Recovery – Legacies of the Fukushima Triple Disaster
theartofrecovery.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
February 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
On March 12, I'll join a conference at the University of Bristol that reflects on the 3.11 disasters in Japan. The conference brings together artists and scholars and includes screenings of documentaries by French and Japanese documentarians.
theartofrecovery.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
theartofrecovery.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
Here is a question for political scientists. Japan's national-level coalition partnership between the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito is almost a quarter century old. Is there another example in the world of two parties that have lasted this long in coalition without merging or splitting?
January 19, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Here is a question for political scientists. Japan's national-level coalition partnership between the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito is almost a quarter century old. Is there another example in the world of two parties that have lasted this long in coalition without merging or splitting?
Wonderful to see the book in person. I edited the section on “politics and governance” for the brand new New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions. This is an invaluable resource for religions in Japan, and for religious studies more generally.
December 14, 2024 at 3:19 PM
Wonderful to see the book in person. I edited the section on “politics and governance” for the brand new New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions. This is an invaluable resource for religions in Japan, and for religious studies more generally.
The Berkley Center at Georgetown just published a short essay I wrote: "In Religion-Averse Japan, a Religion-Backed Party Remains Pivotal." I wrote this and then Komeito got hammered in the October election. However, I think what I write here holds true.
berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/in-rel...
berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/in-rel...
In Religion-Averse Japan, a Religion-Backed Party Remains Pivotal
Levi McLaughlin contends that in the post-Shinzo Abe age, we can expect Soka Gakkai and Komeito to remain pivotal forces and for religion, as a whole, to remain a potent force within Japanese politics...
berkleycenter.georgetown.edu
November 27, 2024 at 2:01 AM
The Berkley Center at Georgetown just published a short essay I wrote: "In Religion-Averse Japan, a Religion-Backed Party Remains Pivotal." I wrote this and then Komeito got hammered in the October election. However, I think what I write here holds true.
berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/in-rel...
berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/in-rel...
Reposted by Levi McLaughlin
Tomorrow: This talk at UCLA. international.ucla.edu/buddhist/eve...
How Japanese Buddhists Tried to Make Bad Kids Good
Prof. Jolyon Thomas (University of Pennsylvania) will speak about Japanese anxieties about youths in the 1950s and 1960s and the attempt to use Buddhist teachings in public schools to help develop a m...
international.ucla.edu
November 19, 2024 at 4:05 PM
Tomorrow: This talk at UCLA. international.ucla.edu/buddhist/eve...
Okay, for real. T-shirts and other merch for touring soloists in the classical music world. But with badass designs, and maybe dates if they’re on a coherent tour. I’d buy the shit out of an Augustin Hadelich hoodie, man.
November 15, 2024 at 11:27 PM
Okay, for real. T-shirts and other merch for touring soloists in the classical music world. But with badass designs, and maybe dates if they’re on a coherent tour. I’d buy the shit out of an Augustin Hadelich hoodie, man.
Looking forward to #AARSBL. I'll be on a panel with Jackie Stone, Yulia Burenina, and Bruce Winkelman titled "Rebuking Error, Inverting Authority, and Transforming Institutions: Remonstration in the Nichiren Buddhist Tradition." Seems apt to analyze remonstration and religious friction...
November 13, 2024 at 3:30 PM
Looking forward to #AARSBL. I'll be on a panel with Jackie Stone, Yulia Burenina, and Bruce Winkelman titled "Rebuking Error, Inverting Authority, and Transforming Institutions: Remonstration in the Nichiren Buddhist Tradition." Seems apt to analyze remonstration and religious friction...
Reposted by Levi McLaughlin
Ppl making academia account starter packs r my heroes, thank you for the invisible service 🥹
I will try to share relevant starter packs below ⬇️🧵
I will try to share relevant starter packs below ⬇️🧵
November 8, 2024 at 1:40 PM
Ppl making academia account starter packs r my heroes, thank you for the invisible service 🥹
I will try to share relevant starter packs below ⬇️🧵
I will try to share relevant starter packs below ⬇️🧵
Excited to see the New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions released in the coming weeks. I edited the section on "Politics and Governance," which includes invaluable chapters on constitutional law, party politics, kingship, and other topics. Follow @jolyonbt.bsky.social and read below for details.
Lots of new followers in the last several days, so between that and the rollout of the new threading feature, this seems as good a time as any to plug a new book that I co-edited with @mcmullen.bsky.social. It’s the New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions. uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/the-ne...
The New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions
For nearly two decades, the Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions has served as a valuable resource for students and scholars of religion in Japan. This exciting update expands the audience to include…
uhpress.hawaii.edu
November 10, 2024 at 7:15 PM
Excited to see the New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions released in the coming weeks. I edited the section on "Politics and Governance," which includes invaluable chapters on constitutional law, party politics, kingship, and other topics. Follow @jolyonbt.bsky.social and read below for details.
Reposted by Levi McLaughlin
OK, I guess someone had to do it and I guess today that someone is me. Academic Study of Religion starter pack! I am sure I have left people out, so please let me know if I need to add you!
go.bsky.app/9CdZTiN
go.bsky.app/9CdZTiN
November 8, 2024 at 2:33 PM
OK, I guess someone had to do it and I guess today that someone is me. Academic Study of Religion starter pack! I am sure I have left people out, so please let me know if I need to add you!
go.bsky.app/9CdZTiN
go.bsky.app/9CdZTiN
Reposted by Levi McLaughlin
Hello friends! As more users migrate to Bsky, we encourage you to follow us here at JPP, where we are working to promote a more diverse, inclusive, & equitable field in the Japanese humanities. 🗾 There aren't many official accounts here just yet for Japan Studies, but a starter: go.bsky.app/H54gyeg
November 10, 2024 at 2:01 AM
Hello friends! As more users migrate to Bsky, we encourage you to follow us here at JPP, where we are working to promote a more diverse, inclusive, & equitable field in the Japanese humanities. 🗾 There aren't many official accounts here just yet for Japan Studies, but a starter: go.bsky.app/H54gyeg
Reposted by Levi McLaughlin
I made a Japanese Studies starter pack! Film, literature, sociology, history, cultural studies, translation, academic and academic-adjacent. Please reply if you want to be added (or removed)! go.bsky.app/AXJLiEA
November 8, 2024 at 10:59 PM
I made a Japanese Studies starter pack! Film, literature, sociology, history, cultural studies, translation, academic and academic-adjacent. Please reply if you want to be added (or removed)! go.bsky.app/AXJLiEA
The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus just published a short special issue on "Behind the Scenes of Media and Legal Responses to the Abe Assassination" edited by Tomomi Yamaguchi and me.
apjjf.org/behind-the-s...
apjjf.org/behind-the-s...
Behind the Scenes of Media and Legal Responses to the Abe Assassination - The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus
apjjf.org
November 1, 2024 at 1:53 PM
The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus just published a short special issue on "Behind the Scenes of Media and Legal Responses to the Abe Assassination" edited by Tomomi Yamaguchi and me.
apjjf.org/behind-the-s...
apjjf.org/behind-the-s...
If you're in/near Raleigh next Thursday (October 17), consider coming to a screening of the documentary "Carving the Divine: The Way of the Būshi (Buddhist Sculptors of Japan)."
www.eventbrite.com/e/global-fil...
www.eventbrite.com/e/global-fil...
Global Film Series—Carving the Divine (Japan)
Join us for a journey through Japanese culture with our Global Film Series featuring "Carving the Divine."
www.eventbrite.com
October 8, 2024 at 8:30 PM
If you're in/near Raleigh next Thursday (October 17), consider coming to a screening of the documentary "Carving the Divine: The Way of the Būshi (Buddhist Sculptors of Japan)."
www.eventbrite.com/e/global-fil...
www.eventbrite.com/e/global-fil...