Where Does Love Come From? – A Cultural Inquiry into the Making of Romantic Love in Japan

This dissertation explores the cultural and religious influences, evolving practices, and linguistic and semantic changes associated with the concept of love, tracing a journey through the history of romantic love in Japan from the Asuka period up to the mid-twentieth century. To explore this question, the research examines the major religious influences that have shaped Japan over the centuries, including Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism and, later, Christianity, with a focus on how these traditions have depicted, interpreted, and influenced Japanese understandings of romantic love. The dissertation concludes with reflections and insights drawn from brief interviews I personally conducted, which are intended to offer additional perspectives and insights.