Spatial Structure of Japanese Religion - Geography of Religion in Japan: Religious Space, Landscape, and Behavior - page 74

who donated crops to Kanamura , and about three-fourths of them (173) visited
the shrine in autumn to donate. More than 95 % of the donors were from Ibaraki,
particularly Mitsukaido and Iwai cities, where about 43.5 % lived. However,
only nine donors lived in Toyosato district in Tsukuba, although many believers
lived there; people in the Ujiko region were already obliged to pay a member-
ship fee or donate polished rice in the autumn festival, so that they no longer
needed to donate crops to pray for gratitude.
(3) The Regional Division of the Catchment Area of Kanamura
I divided the catchment area of Kanamura into two regions, based on the distri-
bution of associations and believers (Fig. 3.23 ). The fi rst area is in Ibaraki, an
oval with a major axis 50 km long and a minor axis 20 km extending from west
to south and including Yuki, Yachiyo town, Chiyokawa village, Ishige town,
Mitsukaido, Toyosato and Yatabe districts in Tsukuba, Ina town, Yawahara
town, Fujishiro town, and Toride City. The area had two spatial characteristics:
the presence of many dantai - ko, especially haru - ko, aki - ko, and nichiget-
sunenzan - ko, and included more than 80 % of believers. Previous studies have
commented on the rise of the young generation and its combination with the
communities on Mt. Dewa-sanzan, the characteristic of the water God in Mt.
Togakushi, and the characteristic of the harvest God in Kasama Inari .
The second area, outside the fi rst, extended mostly south, and included
southwest Iwai and Sakai towns, (in western Ibaraki), Kawauchi, Azuma, and
Edosaki (in southeastern Ibaraki), southeastern Saitama, and northwestern
Chiba. Two spatial characteristics were observed: most of the daidai-ko and
kinen-ko were in this area although few believers lived here. Incidentally,
although many delegated visitors prayed for private wishes, and they were
counted as believers. The second area can be considered the principal concen-
tration of daisan - ko, which previous studies have regarded as an important spa-
tial characteristic (Iwahana 1983a ; Matsui 1995 ). Although this does not
contradict the Kanamura faith, I cannot defi ne a third area that had somairi - ko,
established branch shrines, and low Ko density (Iwahana 1983a ; Matsui 1995 ).
Kanamura does not have a branch shrine system, so somairi - ko was located in
the second area and I cannot defi ne a third Kanamura area.
In the following sections, I will discuss two representative districts: Toyosato
district in Tsukuba from the fi rst area and Yoshikawa from the second area.
Many Kanamura believers lived in the Toyosato district, and belonged to nich-
igetsunenzan - ko and dantai - ko. In contrast, daidai-ko and kinen-ko have been
organized in Yoshikawa district since the latter part of the nineteenth century.

3.2.3 Spatial Characteristics of the First Area: Case Study

of the Toyosato District in Tsukuba City

Toyosato district lies in the western part of Tsukuba (Fig. 3.24 ) on a fl at plateau
about 25-30 m above sea level. The Higashiyata and Nishiyata rivers fl ow north to