Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 3.40 Site of shrines and temple of religious associations organized in the Shimo-uchikawa
district, Yoshikawa City, 1996 (The author's fi eld survey in August, 1997)
The distribution of ko members who visited selected famous shrines and
temples is shown in Figs. 3.42 , 3.43 , 3.44 , 3.45 , 3.46 , 3.47 , and 3.48 . Each asso-
ciation had different members. Members of the associations that visited
Furumine, Togakushi, Haruna, and Mitake were found throughout the Shimo-
uchikawa area. Each had a master and fi ve managers selected by the group to
collect the membership fee or distribute amulets. The Kanamura association
consisted of four groups excluding Oyanagi. The Kanamura association had
managers but no master. The only groups that visited Itakura and Shinshoji were
based in Oyanagi, and each association representative was called a manager.
Thirty-nine households belonged to the Komine association, which visited
the Furumine shrine once a year in April. The association, which lasted 5 years,
delegated eight persons to visit the shrines. After 5 years, a new association was
created. Forty-one households belonged to the Togakushi association, and eight
persons visited the Shrine every May until 1988. In 1989, the visiting system
was changed to somairi . Visits were completed every six years with a grand
festival.
The Haruna (38 households) and Mitake (26 households) associations shared
the same master and managers. In spring, eight persons visited the Haruna
Shrine and fi ve persons went to the Mitake Shrine. Though this visiting system
continued until 1996, the way of both member's somairi started in 1997. They
were not certain about how to visit the shrine.
Both the Kanamura and Itakura associations were derived from faith in the
Thunder God. The Kanamura association had 50 households in the Higashi,
Okuma, Nishi, and Shimo groups—more members than the other similar asso-
ciations. Itakura had seven households in Oyanagi.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search