| Abstract
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The folk shamans (minkan fusha 民間巫者) called itako イタコ, mainly active in Aomori and surrounding prefectures (Akita and Iwate), are well known nationwide thanks to mass media coverage. However, despite their increased visibility, there seems to be a gap between the itako as folk culture and the image of the “itako” as a component of the mass culture produced by the media. This article attempts to clarify the actual conditions of the itako from the 1970s to 1980s, especially focusing on the influence of the occult boom, by analyzing the discourse in print media. Beginning in the 1970s, the occult boom in Japan rediscovered the religiosity of the itako as the occult the masses wanted. As a result, the itako changed from being culturally other to part of “our” mysterious knowledge. Although this involved an attribution of value to the itako, it also meant that the religiosity of the itako was turned into an object of consumption for mass culture. This popularization of itako religiosity played a significant role in establishing the itako as a part of mass culture. The folk shamans (minkan fusha 民間巫者) called itako イタコ, mainly active in Aomori and surrounding prefectures (Akita and Iwate), are well known nationwide thanks to mass media coverage. However, despite their increased visibility, there seems to be a gap between the itako as folk culture and the image of the “itako” as a component of the mass culture produced by the media. This article attempts to clarify the actual conditions of the itako from the 1970s to 1980s, especially focusing on the influence of the occult boom, by analyzing the discourse in print media. Beginning in the 1970s, the occult boom in Japan rediscovered the religiosity of the itako as the occult the masses wanted. As a result, the itako changed from being culturally other to part of “our” mysterious knowledge. Although this involved an attribution of value to the itako, it also meant that the religiosity of the itako was turned into an object of consumption for mass culture. This popularization of itako religiosity played a significant role in establishing the itako as a part of mass culture.
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