ANCESTOR WORSHIP IN JAPAN - DEPENDENCE AND THE RESOLUTION OF GRIEF

Ancestor worship in Japan is ritual, supported by a sophisticated theo ry, by which the living manage their bonds with the dead. Differing cu ltural values on autonomy/dependence create differences in interperson al bonds, thus different dynamics in breaking and continuing bonds aft er death. This article defines ancestor worship and places in its hist orical/political context, discusses autonomy and dependence as cultura l values in terms of expressions and resolutions of grief, and describ es ancestor worship as processes similar to the resolution of grief in the modern West.