A Study on the Introduction, Diffusion and Assimilation of Chinese Influence in Okinawa Folk Culture
| Project/Area Number |
05610256
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
文化人類学(含民族学・民俗学)
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| Research Institution | OKINAWA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
OGUMA Makoto OKINAWA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY,FACULTY OF LETTERS,PROFESSOR, 文学部, 教授 (90185562)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1993 – 1995
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1995)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 1994: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 1993: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
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| Keywords | Okinawa / fengshui / munchu / comparative folklore study / 風水 / 門中 / 清明 / 門中(もんちゅう) / 宗族(そうぞく) / 風水(ふうすい) |
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| Research Abstract |
Chinese culture has an extensive influence on Okinawan folk culture. This study examined the introduction and diffusion of the concept of fengshui (geomancy) and the munchu (lineage) system.
Fengshui came to the pre-modem Ryukyus after the Ryukyuan court imported this from China Historical documents show that the Ryukyu government actively introduced fengshui notions into its policies. On several occasions during the pre-modem period, up till the beginning of the modem period, villages asked officials of the Ryukyu government to examine the fengshui of the locality. Thus, fengshui in Okinawa evolved from an aspect of the political thinking of the Ryukyu government to an integral part of collective knowledge.
Even today, it is still common to look at the fengshui when building a house or a grave in Okinawa. The "ishiganto" tablets seen at street corners are also related to fengshui However, the absence of the notion of "qi" in present day Okinawan fengshui constitutes its greatest discrepancy with fengshui in China This is an issue worthy of further research.
With regard to the munchu system, this has its beginnings also in the early pre-modem period. The Ryukyu government introduced this system among the shizoku (elite class) modeled on the Chinese lineage system. It started as an attempt to consolidate the social classes. The shizoku was ordered to compose their genealogical trees. These genealogical tables copied the lineage genealogies in China. and basically followed a patrilineal order. A further collectivization of families with common ancestors, and the emergence of common graves for such kin groups led to the formation of the munchu. However, while the munchu used Chinese surnames, they did not manage to adopt their underlying principles. The prohibition of intermarriage between individuals with the same surname in China was not a strictly observed taboo in Okinawa.
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Report
(4 results)
Research Products
(6 results)
