Studies on the Wooden Tablets in Medieval Period in Japan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13358
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Gangoji Institute for Research of Cultural Property
• Principal Investigator: Hattori Mitsumasa 公益財団法人元興寺文化財研究所, 研究部, 研究員 (00746498)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 木札 / 中世史料学 / 木札文書 / 供養札 / 仏教民俗資料 / 金石文

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent Japanese paleography studies have revealed that a greater variety of wooden tablets were produced than had been previously assumed. Therefore, it is necessary to grasp the whole picture. Based on this awareness of the discovery, this research analyzed the individual wooden tablets and collected examples of wooden tablets to clarify the position of wooden tablets in the overall historical materials of the Japanese medieval period.
As a result, in order to systematically understand the comprehensive picture of the wide variety of wooden tablets, I proposed that we can classify them into two categories: wooden document tablets and offering tablets. I pointed out that the content and style of offering tablets correspond to those of sacred works. I also examined the history of research on Buddhist folklore materials and epigraphy, and argued that wooden tablets should be positioned as one of the fundamental medieval historical materials.

Free Research Field

日本中世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

年々発掘調査などで事例が蓄積されている中世木札の全体像を把握するうえで、木札文書と供養札という分類を定立したことは重要な意義を持つ。この分類は紙本の文書・聖教との関係に対応するものであり、素材を越えて中世史料全体の中に木札を位置づけることにもつながった。さらに金石文学、仏教民俗学など隣接諸分野と文献史学との関係にも切り込み、中世史料学の広がりを展望できた。御霊神社本宮所蔵木札が本研究での調査を契機として地元博物館で展示されるなど地域史料としての木札の重要性も喚起できた。劣化しやすい木札の赤外線撮影による記録化を進めたことは、研究資源化と文化財保存とを両立していくためにも有意義である。