Lindsey DeWitt completed her PhD in Asian Languages & Cultures (Buddhist Studies) from UCLA in December 2015. Her research aims to articulate the social and historical dimensions of religion and culture in Japan and Asia. DeWitt’s dissertation features the modern social and religious history of Ōminesan, a sacred mountain in Nara prefecture, Japan, designated a World Heritage Site and National Park and upheld as a male-only site according to religious tradition. She is currently researching expressions of cultural heritage in Japanese and other Asian contexts, especially as they concern gender, identity, and the re-envisioning (and revising) of history during the process of “heritagization.” Other research interests include pilgrimage, visual culture, religious practices and economies, and the relationship between religion and the state. She enjoys climbing mountains, taking photographs, and exploring new places near and far.