| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
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| Research Abstract |
We have finishded the fact-finding research for 3 three years on the traditional rites practiced by Noro, the priestesses in Amami, particularly 32 villages at Kakeroma-shima, Yoro-shima and Uke-shima lying close to the mainland of Amami, in Setouti-cho, Oshima-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture. Among 32 villagese in this area, we find 2 villages which are going to disappear because of depopulation. Though we confirmed that every village in this area held the traditional rituals by Noro formerly, at present it indicates that they are remaining only in the memory of the aged. As soon as those people who memorize the traditional rites in the village pass away, we realize surely those precious memories extinct at the same time. So this research must certainly be the latest opportunity to record their memories and knowledge.
Through this research we got the following observation 1) Each village has one ritual place as a general rule, but we confirm that some of the villages have two or three sanctuaries. 2) The absence of Noro caused the extinction of the traditional rituals. 3) The Japanese traditional religion, Jinsha-Sinto was flowing into this area in harmony with the Noro rites. 4) On the other hand, some newly emerging religion in Japan at the post war period poured into this region to eliminate the traditional rituals. 5) After the war Yuta, the shamans, interfered in some Noro rites, consequently the Noro rituals changed in quality. 6) We considered that the traditional Noro rites in every village had once been extinguished in Meiji-era, afterward the degenerated Noro rituals revived, some of them continued their ceremony till the post war period.
While of our researching for three years in this area, we recognized that the village itself and the naturalenvironment of it have been changing momently. Amid the transformation in this region we were worried about not hearing the sound of the regeneration.
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