Liquid Life

Why would a country strongly influenced by Buddhism's reverence for life allow legalized, widely used abortion? Equally puzzling to many Westerners is the Japanese practice ofmizukorites, in which the parents of aborted fetuses pray for the well-being of these rejected "lives." In this provocative investigation, William LaFleur examines abortion as a window on the culture and ethics of Japan. At the same time he contributes to the Western debate on abortion, exploring how the Japanese resolve their conflicting emotions privately and avoid the pro-life/pro-choice politics that sharply divide Americans on the issue.

List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Original Concepts
Behind the Great Buddha	p. 3
A World of Water and Words	p. 14
Social Death, Social Birth	p. 30
Jizo at the Crossroads	p. 44
Historical Processes
Edo: An Era in View	p. 69
Edo: Population	p. 89
Edo: Polemics	p. 103
Sex, War, and Peace	p. 119
Contemporary Issues
Apology	p. 143
Moral Swamps	p. 160
A Rational, National Family	p. 177
Crossovers	p. 198
Conclusion	p. 214
Appendix: "The Way to Memorialize One's Mizuko"	p. 221
Notes	p. 225
Bibliography	p. 243
Index	p. 253
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