ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the religious and ethnic identity of Japanese Christians in the USA is examined along with the historical development of Japanese Christian churches. The first half of the chapter traces the formation of the churches, focusing on institutional aspects, and the second half considers the consciousness and identity of the believers. In my previous research among Japanese mediums in Hawaii I have discussed the continuation of Japanese folk religion.1 Here I will examine the Japanese roots of the religious and ethnic consciousness of a group that can be considered well assimilated into American society and the American way of life: Japanese Christian adher ents in Sacramento, California. In both my earlier studies of Japanese religious mediums and in this study, I have been interested in how Japanese religious tradition has continued to exist among Japanese Americans and also in how a unique religious tradition based on a new consciousness has developed among Japanese Americans.
