Clark Chilson published a book about being nonreligious in Japan

Clark Chilson, an associate professor in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Religious Studies, published “On Being Nonreligious in Contemporary Japan” with Bloomsbury earlier this year.

An expert on religion and culture in East Asia, Chilson lived in Japan for 13 years before joining Pitt in 2006. He spent those years studying Buddhism and popular religion in the country. 

In his new book, Chilson and co-author Ian Reader examine the reasons behind the large number of people in contemporary Japan who identify as nonreligious. The pair also explores broader declines in religion in Japan and depictions of religion in the country’s media and popular culture.