Vol. 9 (2026)
Waste Ethnographies

Ritualising Waste, Disposal and Afterlife in Japanese Buddhism

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  • Jørn Borup
Jørn Borup
Aarhus University
Cover image of Worldwide Waste journal, showing a derelict car on a grassy sward.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3197/whpww.63857928646686

Published 2026-09-21

Keywords

  • Japanese Buddhism,
  • ritual transformation,
  • death,
  • value,
  • waste management

How to Cite

Borup, J. (2026). Ritualising Waste, Disposal and Afterlife in Japanese Buddhism. Worldwide Waste, 9, 67–80. https://doi.org/10.3197/whpww.63857928646686

Copyright (c) 2026 Jørn Borup

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Religious waste requires special attention from religious practitioners. Handling of emotionally charged exhausted objects, human-like dolls and ‘lonely deaths’ likewise reflects key aspects of the religion and the cultural understanding of what is and what is not valued as enduring life and disposable waste. What kind of religious practice is required for what kind of waste and death? How are these objects and bodies disposed of, transformed, left to fade, reincarnated or revitalised through pragmatic handling and symbolic rituals? This article examines the imaginaries, trajectories and ritual dimensions of managing the death and afterlife of used, excess and exhaust objects and souls in a contemporary Japanese Buddhist context. It demonstrates that the interplay of ritual practices, affective bonds and networks of actors expresses and shapes ontologies and protocols for disposable waste, bodies and transformable value.

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