Spatial Structure of Japanese Religion - Geography of Religion in Japan: Religious Space, Landscape, and Behavior - page 115

Fig. 3.47 Distribution of households joining a Itakura association in the Shimo-ucchikawa dis-
trict, Yoshikawa City, 1997 (The author's fi eld survey in August, 1997)
nineteenth century. The master (from B's family) inherited the position, and the
present master was at least the third generation. The present master's father was
also in charge of an association formed to climb Mt. Kiso-ontake before 1960,
when a mountain priest died. A system to choose delegates to visit both shrines
was used until 1996. Members met at the master's house to select the visitors by
lot and pay the membership fee. The Haruna association had eight delegates,
and the Mitake association had fi ve delegates. It was possible to change a del-
egate visitor if the selected person was planning to visit another shrine or tem-
ple. In April, both groups of delegates visited and prayed at both shrines to get
amulets. In the 1970s, the delegates stayed two nights at Haruna Shrine and one