Memory and "Taming" of History: from the Perspective of Anthropology on Taiwanese Folk Religion

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370943
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology
• Research Institution: Keio University (2015-2017); Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (2014)
• Principal Investigator: MIO Yuko 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 教授 (20195192)
• Research Collaborator: LIN Meirong 慈済大学, 宗教與人文研究所, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 宗教人類学 / 記憶 / 歴史 / 台湾 / 馴致 / 民間信仰 / 植民地

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Taiwan was repeatedly governed by rulers who came from outside the island. And it's interesting to note that there are not a few examples of incorporating those rulers as objects of faith. This research aimed to clarify how social memories are created, passed down and transformed by contacting with foreigners or being dominated by them through folk religion. In particular, in this research, we mainly studied cases where Japanese were enshrined to God. In addition, we considered cases of deifying Dutch and mainland Chinese (Chiang Kai-shek) concomitantly.With regard to Japanese, over 40 cases were discovered within the research period. We conducted a relatively detailed interview survey and participant observation to a few temples in which Japanese are enshrined.

Free Research Field

人文学