ABSTRACT
I started my first research project on Japanese “new religions” 2 (shinshūkyō 新宗教) and the Internet in 1999. I selected 120 groups to examine, but at the time only 25 of these groups had an official website. 3 The aim of this first research project was to investigate three aspects of “new religions” (self-) representation on the Web. First, I studied the groups’ various forms of communication, including the modes of interaction with members and non-members, the use of email, Bulletin Board Systems, forums and so on. The second area of investigation was religious practices and texts, including the possibility of online pilgrimage, online counselling and the availability of sacred texts online. Third, for lack of a better term, I investigated the groups’ marketing practices, including the presence of online shops, subscriptions and the use of Internet advertising. Fifteen webmasters agreed to be interviewed via email, and during these interviews explained why the group decided to be online and gave their opinion about the relationship between online/offline practices.
