A study of information, exchange and friction between mountain villages and villages

2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 12610344
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Rikkyo University
• Principal Investigator: KURAMOCHI Shigehiro RIKKYO Univ. Japanese history professor, 文学部, 教授 (70153369)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOBAYASHI Kazutake MEISEI Univ. The humanities assistant professor, 人文学部, 助教授 (20298061) ; FUJIKI Hisashi TEIKYOU Univ. Japanese history professor, 文学部, 教授 (60062585)
• Project Period (FY): 2000 – 2002
• Keywords: Kiinosima-sho / Mizumzji Temple / Myoshuchu / Muraza / 宮座 / 寺座 / 溜池 / 五輪塔

Research Abstract

The research was effective to clear up the life and connection of people in a valley from mountainous region in Katuragi and Izumi to plain, where the Kogi river is joined by the Kibitani and the Sobura river to erode. There are three findings. 1. Tracing/Finding out ancient documents 2. Tracing water supply and Muraza/Miyaza 3. Tracing So-Haka
As for 1, we could invest some ancient documents. They are Mizumaji Temple Documents, Kwannonin Temple Documents and the Nishimura Documents. The key word here is" Myoshuchu", and despite Kinoahima-Sho was separated Kami-Syo from Shimo-Sho over five villages, we found that "Myoshuchu" can connect them.
As for 2, we could restore each watercourse of "Kinoshimayu" and reservoirs. Full picture of the water supply extent was cleared up. They are the basic data to know the agriculture and life in Kinoshima region.
In addition, we collected information of the organization of "Teraza" and "Zanaka" in Mizuma. There are Omra-Za, Inari-Za and Hayashi-Za in M itsumatu. However these Za are little effective as Miya-Za and rather take a character of brotherhood society today. In this respect, it is quite different from Tera-Za and Oh-Mura in Mizuma. From now on, our aim is to clear up the connection with Oh-Mura and others, which we can confirm in the medieval documents, the existence of Za expanding out of a village, and so on.
As for 3, in investigation ancient gravestones of So-Haka in Mizuma, we concentrated on tracing stone buildings among (1) Gravestones in Graveyard of Ide family and (2) Muen-Haka in Mitsumatu that seem to be built from medieval to the early stage of early modern times, As a result, we confirmed 179 of (1) and 556 of (2). There are 42 engraved inscriptions on the stones, and they are from Eisho to Kanbun.
In research meeting, we made progress in investigating "Hatuuma-Shinji" and others of an Mori-Inari shrine described in "Karisome no Hitorigoto", which is considered in the 7th year of Tenbun. Although it was hard to understand, we confirmed the it was a Shinto ritural held by whole Kinoshima-Sho involving even Zito and Kannushi, and that it is an important matter in order to know Kinoshima's social and regional community in medieval Japan.