In contemporary Japanese youth culture, the boundary between religious and non-religious practices is blurring, shaped by three key concepts: 'practicing belonging', 'vicarious spirituality', and 'gendered fetishism'. These are illustrated through the phenomenon of 'tulpa'—created paranormal beings derived from Tibetan Buddhism—along with other examples. The article argues that what may appear religious to Japanese scholars might not be viewed as such by Western scholars, and that factors transforming religiousness in Japan affect not only spiritual but also secular settings, leading to parallel phenomena.
Young adults in Japan are developing new forms of religiosity that blend digital, fictional, and embodied practices, challenging traditional frameworks. The authors introduce "2.5-dimensional religion" and "subjective ritualization" to capture how practices like oshi-katsu (fan devotion), 2.5-D musicals, tulpa creation, and anime pilgrimage blur reality and imagination. These activities shift from narrative-based subjective myths to participatory subjective rituals, expressing religiosity through affective ties and performative engagements in both physical and digital environments. The work offers a new theoretical lens for understanding religion in an age of fragmented identities and technological mediation.