This book is the English translation of my Japanese-language monograph, Fukujū to Hankō no Āshūrā: Gendai Iran no Shūkyō Girei o Meguru Minzokushi (2023, Hosei University Press), originally developed from my doctoral dissertation submitted to Hitotsubashi University in 2022. Although the main arguments remain intact, this version incorporates revisions and reorganization to better convey the ethnographic context and theoretical framing for an international readership. Making this work available in English has allowed me to share the anthropological insights and lived experiences from my fieldwork in Iran with a broader scholarly audience. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Toru Miura and Keiko Sakurai, whose steadfast support played a pivotal role in enabling this publication.
The English version came to fruition during a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford beginning in 2023, generously supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. I am sincerely thankful to Eugene Rogan, my host professor, and to Maryam Alemzadeh at the Middle East Centre. Their enthusiastic encouragement to publish this research in English not only bolstered my confidence but also decisively propelled the translation process forward. I also wish to acknowledge Sepideh Atter Motlagh, Heba El-Shazli, and Pranav Prakash, who offered thoughtful and constructive feedback on parts of the manuscript.
It was by no means a straightforward journey to publication. Although it may now seem like a smooth academic trajectory—from fieldwork to dissertation to book—it was in fact marked by detours, uncertainty, and transformative encounters. My first visit to Iran, in 2010 as an undergraduate with no clear academic goals, was sparked by a recommendation from a traveler I had met in Lebanon. What I encountered in Iran—a depth of interaction and resonance with everyday life—left a lasting impression and planted the seeds for a deeper engagement.
In 2013, after entering the doctoral program at Hitotsubashi University, I studied Persian for eight months at a language school in Tehran. At the time, I had no concrete research agenda, only a strong desire to stay and immerse myself further. Near the end of that stay, I discovered a newly launched Master’s Program in Iranian Studies at the University of Tehran, open to international students. Sensing it was a serendipitous opportunity, I applied without hesitation. Between 2014 and 2017, I pursued this program, which turned out to be more demanding than anticipated. Though I once considered leaving without completing it, I ultimately chose to persevere, eventually earning all the
I am indebted to the faculty of the University of Tehran, whose guidance profoundly shaped this research. I would especially like to acknowledge my thesis advisor, Saied Reza Ameli, along with Mohammad Samiei, Mahdi Ahouie, and Nahid Pourrostami. My heartfelt appreciation also extends to the many individuals I met throughout daily life in Iran—whose generosity and openness enabled this research, even if I cannot name them here due to privacy concerns.
At Hitotsubashi University, I was privileged to learn from remarkable mentors. I would like to express my appreciation to Naoki Kasuga, Akira Okazaki, Takashi Osugi, and Akinori Kubo for cultivating my anthropological sensibilities. In particular, I thank my supervisor, Takashi Osugi, for his unwavering guidance—he taught me not only the craft of ethnographic writing, but also the quiet strength of persistence.
I am also thankful to my peers at Hitotsubashi. Mitsuru Niwa, a key interlocutor since our time in Iran, provided early feedback on my dissertation and consistently encouraged me to see it through. Akinori Hamada offered steady and practical support throughout my graduate years. I also wish to recognize the encouragement and insights provided by senior colleagues such as Atsushi Uemura, Juntaro Fukada, Atsushi Sakata, Yoko Taguchi, Eri Hashimoto, and Miki Namba.
Between 2017 and 2018, I led a collaborative research initiative at the Center for Modern Middle East Studies, National Museum of Ethnology, supported by the vision of Kenji Kuroda. Discussions with this group greatly enriched my thinking. I am particularly appreciative of the contributions of Kuroda and Atsuko Tsubakihara, both of whom are leading scholars on contemporary Iran. Tomoko Yamagishi encouraged me to disseminate my work internationally and invited me to write an encyclopedia entry based on my findings. My long-time friend and sociologist, Kosuke Sakai, co-authored a paper with me that bridged anthropology and systems theory and provided invaluable input on my dissertation. I also thank Naoki Kashio and Tatsuya Yumiyama, who introduced me to the anthropology of religion, during my undergraduate years.
This research was made possible by the generous support of multiple grants and fellowships, including: a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (2013, PI: Takashi Osugi); the K. Matsushita Foundation Research Grant (2014); a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows-DC2 (2016); the Resona Foundation for Asia and Oceania (2018); the Shibusawa Foundation for Ethnological Studies (2020); and the Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education (2021). I am also grateful
Lastly, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my editor at Brill, Mona Saif, whose patience and editorial acumen helped bring this book to completion. I am also appreciative of the anonymous reviewer whose comments sharpened the final version of the manuscript.