Folklore Study on Less Violence in Japanese Festivals in the Period of Rapid Economic Growth

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03223
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: YABE Shingo 山口大学, 人文学部, 准教授 (80513746)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 祭礼 / 祭り / 脱「暴力」化 / 高度経済成長期

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, the following points are clarified taking three Japanese festivals which are “Fushiki Hikiyama Matsuri” in Takaoka City, Toyama Pref., “Mori no Matsuri” in Mori Town, Shizuoka Pref., and “Tsukiji Danjiri Matsuri” in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Pref. as examples. It is a process in which these three festivals were transformed into safer and more peaceful ones during the period of high economic growth as police and mass media criticized the violent nature of the festivals. It should be noted in these cases that three geographically separated festivals were criticized and forced to change for similar reasons at similar times. From the above, it can be pointed out that the period of high economic growth was a time when the violence hidden in the festivals were accused and forced to change.

Free Research Field

民俗学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在のようなライフスタイルの基礎は高度経済成長期に築かれたともいわれている。このため、現代の社会的・文化的状況を正確に理解するためには、高度経済成長期の様子を体系的に明らかにする必要があると思われる。近年、高度経済成長期の文化的・社会的状況を扱った研究が増えているものの、この時期の、とりわけ地方の文化現象に注目した実証的研究は、歴史学や社会学を見渡しても、それほど多くない。本研究では、「中央の」ではなく「地方の」祭りを手掛かりに、高度経済成長期がいかなる時代であったのか、その時代診断を行った点で独創的であると考えている。