This study examined the characteristics of Shibuya Halloween as a festival, particularly focusing on the relationship between spectators and performers. First, it identified the nature of Halloween activities in Shibuya based on participant observation. Second, it summarized the chronological evolution of the festival. Finally, the characteristics of Shibuya Halloween as a modernized festival were examined through a comparison with Koenji Awa Odori, described as a modern festival by Makoto Matsudaira in the 1980s. The results revealed similarities between the two events, while also identifying four unique characteristics of Shibuya Halloween: the fluidity of the spectator–performer relationship, layering of this relationship due to the expansion of the information society, complete individualization of the participants, and participants’ anti-management attitude. In conclusion, the Shibuya Halloween Festival provides participants with the freedom to act as independent performers within the physical urban space as well as the digital space of the internet, positioning it as a unique and significant festival.

Photographer Shōmei Tōmatsu devoted his life’s work to capturing the lives of people in Okinawa, beginning in the late 1960s. He is particularly known for his journeys from Okinawa’s remote islands to Southeast Asia in the early 1970s. Previous research suggests, however, that he eventually distanced himself from the reality of “Okinawa inside the bases,” which receded into the background amid with the rapid developments following the reversion of Okinawa in 1972. During this period, his focus shifted to the ancient folk customs and cultural traditions of the Ryukyu Islands. However, his portrayal of the complex realities of Okinawa following the restoration of Japanese administration, which brought about radical changes in society, has often been overlooked. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the lives of people captured by Tōmatsu following the reversion based on our original methodology of “photography in practice (shashin-jissen)”. The analysis found that Tōmatsu gradually came to reconsider his subjects’ way of life, drawing insights from the people who had lived their lives on depopulated islands through time. In conclusion, through his photography in Okinawa and Southeast Asia, Tōmatsu reexamined the complicated reality of a double postwar society—shaped by the battle of Okinawa and Vietnam War.

This study examines the development and social significance of Wudang martial arts in contemporary China. While modern forms emphasize their competitive aspect, traditional Wudang martial arts have been valued not only as combat techniques but also as methods of spiritual cultivation and health enhancement, rooted in Taoist teachings. This study examines the transformation of Wudang martial arts following China’s economic reform and opening-up policy initiated in the 1980s, incorporating the personal accounts of private practitioners. The findings reveal that traditional Wudang martial arts primarily centered on “nurturing life” (yangsheng or regimen), emphasizing the Taoist theory of Qi rather than martial prowess. Despite the competitive and tourism-driven transformation promoted by national policies, private practitioners oppose the reconstitution and commercialization of Wudang martial arts, stressing the importance of preserving traditional spiritual practices. As a result, this study highlights the divide between the state and the civil society, showing how Wudang martial arts serve as a mediating space between the two. The struggle for control over the practice reflects broader dynamics in the preservation and development of traditional Chinese culture.