Visits to the Palace of the Sea God in Ancient and Medieval Japan

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is an interesting and clearly written piece of research which intriguingly waves together religious/cosmological and literary topics.

The two chosen narratives and their variations aptly show how the imaginary concerning the supernatural reflects the changes in religious and political context.

The content analysis is detailed and convincing, supported also by philological remarks, and are adequately referenced. I observe that there is a relative scarcity of cited scholarship on Japanese religions, compared to the one on Japanese literature, and this might suggest that the author's expertise is more this latter field.  This is absolutely not a problem, but in a journal as Religions a more in-depth discussion on topics concerning religious traditions and phenomena could be warranted.

In particular, I think that a more detailed discussion on the religious contexts could make the argument stronger in a specific case, that is, the argumentation concerning the increased distance and separation of the supernatural world from the natural one in medieval times and its correlation with the cosmological changes brought about by Buddhism in medieval times.

Let me state it better with a comparison: when discussing the change of the sea god into the Dragon King in the Hikohohodemi no mikoto emaki I think that the argument is very compelling as it coherently waves the political situation of the Genpei war, the Buddhist themes of Naga, of the seven jewels and rainmaking rituals, and the Kuroda’s argument on the relationship between ōbō and buppō.

I would like to see a similar compelling discussion concerning the topic of the distance/ means of access to the supernatural. While the change from the higher proximity in ancient times to the separation in medieval times is clearly described in the analyzed narratives, the contextual explanation is provided only in the final paragraph at the line 553 -564, which gives very general information on the Buddhist influence. A more detailed exposition should be added, highlighting in particular which shift occurred from ancient to medieval cosmological views.

As an additional but not compulsory improvement, I would suggest enriching the introduction. Even if I think that this article offers an original approach to the topic chosen, a short discussion on the existing scholarship on the same topics and/or with similar approach help to better situate it in the current research, be it from the study of religions or from literary studies. In particular, the article would be reinforced if set against the background of other studies that engage the same theoretical point, i.e., the correlation between changes in the understanding of this world and the changes in the imagination of the other worlds.

Lastly: two very small remarks:

-at the lines 188-189 it is not entirely clear what do “vernacular glosses” and “commentator glosses” actually refer to. Are the former subsequent, yet pre-modern glosses included in the edition of Tango Fudoki and Kojiki? Are the latter notes made by the contemporary curators of the volumes? Please state it more clearly.

- the Chinese and Japanese reading of Penglai and Hōrai are used as if the readers know already that they are the same word. I suggest sticking with just one reading or at least indicating that they refer to the same thing.

Author Response

Thank you for this excellent feedback! I've adopted the changes you suggest and included a point-by-point discussion below.

This is an interesting and clearly written piece of research which intriguingly weaves together religious/cosmological and literary topics.

• Thank you!

The two chosen narratives and their variations aptly show how the imaginary concerning the supernatural reflects the changes in religious and political context.

• I’m glad that much is clear.

The content analysis is detailed and convincing, supported also by philological remarks, and are adequately referenced. I observe that here is a relative scarcity of cited scholarship on Japanese religions, compared to the one on Japanese literature, and this might suggest that the author's expertise is more this latter field. This is absolutely not a problem, but in a journal as Religions a more in-depth discussion on topics concerning religious traditions and phenomena could be warranted.

• This is the case; I have incorporated several religious studies sources into the discussion in order to address this deficiency

In particular, I think that a more detailed discussion on the religious contexts could make the argument stronger in a specific case, that is, the argumentation concerning the increased distance and separation of the supernatural world from the natural one in medieval times and its correlation with the cosmological changes brought about by Buddhism in medieval times.

• I tried to introduce this earlier (in the introduction) and provide better context in relation to the existing literature

Let me state it better with a comparison: when discussing the change of the sea god into the Dragon King in the Hikohohodemi no mikoto emaki I think that the argument is very compelling as it coherently waves the political situation of the Genpei war, the Buddhist themes of Naga, of the seven jewels and rainmaking rituals, and the Kuroda’s argument on the relationship between ōbō and buppō.

• Thank you

I would like to see a similar compelling discussion concerning the topic of the distance/ means of access to the supernatural. While the change from the higher proximity in ancient times to the separation in medieval times is clearly described in the analyzed narratives, the contextual explanation is provided only in the final paragraph at the line 553 -564, which gives very general information on the Buddhist influence. A more detailed exposition should be added, highlighting in particular which shift occurred from ancient to medieval cosmological views.

• I have incorporated this more thoroughly into the discussion as stated above; hopefully this foregrounds the issue better

As an additional but not compulsory improvement, I would suggest enriching the introduction. Even if I think that this article offers an original approach to the topic chosen, a short discussion on the existing scholarship on the same topics and/or with similar approach help to better situate it in the current research, be it from the study of religions or from literary studies. In particular, the article would be reinforced if set against the background of other studies that engage the same theoretical point, i.e., the correlation between changes in the understanding of this world and the changes in the imagination of the other worlds.

• I have added a short discussion on work that involves the definition of the supernatural, scholarship on otherworlds, and a recent geographical turn in medieval Japanese religion

Lastly: two very small remarks:-at the lines 188-189 it is not entirely clear what do “vernacular glosses” and “commentator glosses” actually refer to. Are the former subsequent, yet pre-modern glosses included in the edition of Tango Fudoki and Kojiki? Are the latter notes made by the contemporary curators of the volumes? Please state it more clearly.

              - I have added discussion to make these points more clear

- the Chinese and Japanese reading of Penglai and Hōrai are used as if the readers know already that they are the same word. I suggest sticking with just one reading or at least indicating that they refer to the same thing.

              - I have unified these as Hōrai with a note that “Penglai” is the same thing

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This article examines several narratives of visits to the palace of the sea god/Dragon King in ancient and medieval Japanese literature, discussing key shifts in the use of Buddhist cosmology and Buddhist figures like the Dragon King in such stories. The author’s summaries of the stories in question are clearly written and generally easy to follow, and the author provides detailed analysis of important narrative elements, making many astute observations regarding the use of particular phrases and motifs. The article has great potential to contribute to several important developments in recent research, including the role of the sea in premodern Japanese culture and the medieval adaptations of 8th century myths. 

However, this reviewer feels that the article would benefit from providing more theoretical grounding and context. For instance, the discussion of the tension between the supernatural/natural is largely confined to the first paragraph of the introduction and the last paragraph of the conclusion. Since this article is featured in a special issue on the Supernatural in East Asia, the idea of the supernatural in general and in the context of the narratives in question requires further elucidation. In addition to threading these terms throughout the article, I recommend that the author explicitly discuss the terms “supernatural” and “natural” and how they are being used in this context, since neither of the terms would have been in use during the ancient and medieval periods. Similarly, Sections 3 and 4 would benefit from a final paragraph synthesizing the author’s various observations regarding the Buddhist elements and other innovations in the narrative(s) examined and how they contribute to the overall argument regarding shifts in the view of both natural and supernatural worlds. 

This reviewer also suggests that more context on the Buddhist worldview and Buddhist cosmology be included. Currently, Penglai/Hōrai and Tokoyo are mentioned with very little background, and the reference to the continent of Jambudvipa in the conclusion comes far too late. The author does provide ample context for the role of Indo-Buddhist conceptualizations of the dragon and naga when discussing the Dragon King, so a similar approach to other worlds may prove fruitful, or the author could consider a brief section early on discussing Buddhist cosmology and worldviews more fully before delving into the details of individual narratives. Finally, the author should consider reviewing and citing some of the literature on medieval adaptations of the Kojiki and Nihon shoki (chūsei shinwa 中世神話/chūsei Nihongi 中世日本紀) to show the reader the scope of this particular trend.

Nevertheless, the suggestions above do not impact the overall argument and are provided to enhance the article’s contribution to the field. The reviewer finds the article engaging, well-written, and well-researched and recommends publication.

Minor/Sentence-level suggestions: 

Line 53: “a shrine foundation story”: identify shrine in question, especially if it was a hybrid institution at the time

Line 114: Izanaki should be Izanagi 

Line 128: Briefly explain here or at first mention that the Nihon shoki features variants in many of its narratives, not just this one

Line 241-257: It seems strange to start with the aftermath of the story; consider relocating and possibly minimizing this paragraph

Line 316-319: It strikes me that the role of the Dragon King in directing the place of birth and building the maternity hut also reflects aristocratic family practices of the period, in which fathers had an important role in their daughter’s lives, often beyond the husband’s. Consider briefly mentioning, perhaps citing W McCullough’s article on Heian marriage practices. 

Line 453: “There substantial” should be “There is a substantial…” 

Additional Sources to recommend:

Akima Toshio. 1993. “The Myth of the Goddess of the Undersea World and the Tale of Empress Jingu’s Subjugation of Silla.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 20/2-3 (1993): 96-185. (includes significant section on Urashima Tarō)

Itō Satoshi, Shintō keisei to chūsei shinwa. Yoshikawa kōbunkan, 2016.

—. “Lands and People Drifting Ashore:  Distorted Conceptions of Japan’s Place in the World In Medieval and Early Modern Japanese Myths” in Rambelli, ed. The Sea and the Sacred in Japan: Aspects of Maritime Religiosity. London: Bloomsbury, 2018.
McCullough, William H. "Japanese Marriage Institutions in the Heian Period." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 27 (1967): 103-167.

Yamamoto Hiroko 山本ひろ子. Chūsei shinwa 中世神話. Iwanami Shoten, 1998.

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The writing is excellent, but due to the great number of terms and motifs discussed, I recommend some work on concision, the breaking up of large paragraphs, and the use of more transitional language to make it easier for an unfamiliar reader to follow. 

Author Response

Thank you for this excellent feedback! I've adopted the changes you suggest and included a point-by-point discussion below.

This article examines several narratives of visits to the palace of the sea god/Dragon King in ancient and medieval Japanese literature, discussing key shifts in the use of Buddhist cosmology and Buddhist figures like the Dragon King in such stories. The author’s summaries of the stories in question are clearly written and generally easy to follow, and the author provides detailed analysis of important narrative elements, making many astute observations regarding the use of particular phrases and motifs. The article has great potential to contribute to several important developments in recent research, including the role of the sea in premodern Japanese culture and the medieval adaptations of 8^th century myths.

• Thank you

However, this reviewer feels that the article would benefit from providing more theoretical grounding and context. For instance, the discussion of the tension between the supernatural/natural is largely confined to the first paragraph of the introduction and the last paragraph of the conclusion. Since this article is featured in a special issue on the Supernatural in East Asia, the idea of the supernatural in general and in the context of the narratives in question requires further elucidation. In addition to threading these terms throughout the article, I recommend that the author explicitly discuss the terms “supernatural” and “natural” and how they are being used in this context, since neither of the terms would have been in use during the ancient and medieval periods.

• I have added a discussion of these terms to the introduction and tried to provide more context. Thank you also for the reference recommendations.

Similarly, Sections 3 and 4 would benefit from a final paragraph synthesizing the author’s various observations regarding the Buddhist elements and other innovations in the narrative(s) examined and how they contribute to the overall argument regarding shifts in the view of both natural and supernatural worlds.

• I have added summary paragraphs to these sections as suggested.

This reviewer also suggests that more context on the Buddhistworldview and Buddhist cosmology be included. Currently, Penglai/Hōrai and Tokoyo are mentioned with very little background, and the reference to the continent of Jambudvipa in the conclusion comes far too late. The author does provide ample context for the role of Indo-Buddhist conceptualizations of the dragon and naga when discussing the Dragon King, so a similar approach to other worlds may prove fruitful, or the author could consider a brief section early on discussing Buddhist cosmology and worldviews more fully before delving into the details of individual narratives.

• I have added a discussion of Jambudvipa to the introduction since it is central to the points in the article. Hōrai I try to provide more background on in the body of the section in which it first appears.

Finally, the author should consider reviewing and citing some of the literature on medieval adaptations of the Kojiki and Nihon shoki(chūsei shinwa 中世神話/chūsei Nihongi 中世⽇本紀) to show the reader the scope of this particular trend.

• I have added a paragraph to address this issue in the introduction

Nevertheless, the suggestions above do not impact the overall argument and are provided to enhance the article’s contribution to the field. The reviewer finds the article engaging, well-written, and well-researched and recommends publication.

• Thank you

Minor/Sentence-level suggestions:

Line 53: “a shrine foundation story”: identify shrine in question, especially if it was a hybrid institution at the time

• Fixed – thank you!

Line 114: Izanaki should be Izanagi

• Fixed – thank you!

Line 128: Briefly explain here or at first mention that the Nihon shoki features variants in many of its narratives, not just this one

Fixed – thank you!

Line 241-257: It seems strange to start with the aftermath of the story; consider relocating and possibly minimizing this paragraph

Fixed – thank you!

Line 316-319: It strikes me that the role of the Dragon King in directing the place of birth and building the maternity hut also reflects aristocratic family practices of the period, in which fathers had an important role in their daughter’s lives, often beyond the husband’s. Consider briefly mentioning, perhaps citing W McCullough’s article on Heian marriage practices.

Fixed – thank you!

Line 453: “There substantial” should be “There is a substantial…”

Fixed – thank you!

Additional Sources to recommend:

Akima Toshio. 1993. “The Myth of the Goddess of the Undersea World and the Tale of Empress Jingu’s Subjugation of Silla.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 20/2-3 (1993): 96-185.(includes significant section on Urashima Tarō)

Itō Satoshi, Shintō keisei to chūsei shinwa. Yoshikawa kōbunkan,2016

.—. “Lands and People Drifting Ashore: Distorted Conceptions of Japan’s Place in the World In Medieval and Early Modern Japanese Myths” in Rambelli, ed. The Sea and the Sacred in Japan: Aspects of Maritime Religiosity. London: Bloomsbury, 2018.

McCullough, William H. "Japanese Marriage Institutions in the Heian Period." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 27 (1967):103-167

.Yamamoto Hiroko ⼭本ひろ⼦. Chūsei shinwa 中世神話. Iwanami Shoten, 1998.

• Thank you for these suggestions; all have been incorporated and added to the bib, along with a few others on medieval Japanese contents

The writing is excellent, but due to the great number of terms and motifs discussed, I recommend some work on concision, the breaking up of large paragraphs, and the use of more transitional language to make it easier for an unfamiliar reader to follow.

• I have gone through and tried to make the article more reader-friendly although I must admit there is always room for improvement on this front.