Folkloristic Studies on the "Competition" in Japanese Urban Festivals

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03051
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology
• Research Institution: Edogawa University
• Principal Investigator: Anami Toru 江戸川大学, 社会学部, 教授 (50255204)
• Research Collaborator: UCHIDA Tadayoshi ; KIKUTA Shoko ; NAKAZATO Ryohei ; YABE Shingo
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 都市祭礼 / 競技化 / 審査 / 喧嘩祭

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we studied 10 urban festivals in Japan from the viewpoint of "competition". It was revealed that there are two types of "competition". One is scoring and evaluating the performance of works and dances, the other is a type that makes a collisions of Mikoshi or float with place, time and rules. On the other hand, there are festivals that do not aim at competition while taking on the nickname of the “fighting festival”, so not all festivals are oriented to competition. However, it became clear that it was an effective way to improve the festival by overcoming social critiques of violence, in coordination with the administration and the police.

Free Research Field

民俗学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

祭礼における事故や暴力を克服し、「競技化」していく過程を明らかにすることは、儀礼に見られる暴力的側面の学術的意義を明確にすることにつながる。また、現代社会において祭礼に対する批判を克服し、祭礼が存続し発展する上での指標となりうるものと考えられる。