1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

A Research Study of the Curse Faith on Kakure-Kirishitan in Ikitsuki Island

Research Project

Project/Area Number	06610034
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Religious studies
Research Institution	NAGASAKI JUNSHIN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
Principal Investigator	MIYAZAKI Kentaro NAGASAKI JUNSHIN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE CULTURE PROFESSOR, 人文学部, 教授 (60157625)
Project Period (FY)	1994 – 1995
Keywords	Kakure-Kirishitan / Course-Belief / Evil Spirit Purification / Gods Idea / Shinto / Folk-Religion
Research Abstract	The Kakure-Kirishitan religion has been considered to encompass the Tatari (Curse) -Belief (i.e., its followers'belief that climacteric is caused by their wrong doings) as in the case of other oriental religions, although the Kakure-Kirishitan originates from Christianity. This study aims to clarify the presence of the Kakure-Kirishitan who are involved in various religious festivals and activities in a remote islands called Ikitsuki. The results indicate the presence of the Tatari-Belief in the Kakure-Kirishitan religion, since its religious festivals, such as Nadachi, Hattai-sama, Ikematsuri, Usigami-matsuri, Gion-matsuri are conducted for Harai, Kiyome or exorcism as in the case of Shinto festivals in which they also take part. Of importance is its followers'belief that they become prone to Tatari (i.e., disaster and unhappiness), whenever they fail to pay reverence to Spirits resided in trees, mountains, rocks, personal residences and other natural objects.