"On the following pages, we will retrace the origins and evolution of holy foolery in Japan. We will witness its near extinguishment through the process of modernization and globalization. We will see why Japan needs holy foolery more than ever. And we will identify contemporary traces that suggest a basis for optimism about laughter's possible resurgence."-- from inside jacket cover.

At head of title: LTCB International Library Trust/International House of Japan. Includes index.

The Origins of Laughter -- The Gods, Laughter, and the Japanese -- Divine Mysteries -- Laughter amid the Evolution of Communities -- Urbanization and Modernization -- Globalization -- Eminent Interpreters of Foolery -- Natural Disasters and Transcendent Laughter.