山岳宗教研究の地理学的諸問題 : 岩鼻通明著『出羽三山信仰の歴史地理学的研究』を評して
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This paper attempts to point out some geographical problems in the study of Japanese mountain religion through an critical review of A Historical Geography of Mt. Dewa-sanzan Belief by Michiaki Iwahana published in 1992. The Dewa-sanzan Mountains are situated in Yamagata Prefecture in northeastern Japan. They have been well-known as one of main sacred mountains and have drawn many devotees from east Japan. Iwahana, the author of the book, deals with the Mountains' belief from four viewpoints: religious settlement, mummy worship, religious area, and pilgrimage. Main points of issue are as follows: 1. The author pays attention to differences by origin among religious settlements looking after pilgrims to the mountains. He classifies the seven religious settlements around the Dewa-sanzan Mountains into two types: one was formed in the Edo period (the 17th to mid-19th century), and the other was before the beginning of the Edo period. Many differences are shown between these two types as to their landscape, social structure, function, influential area, and changes after the end of the Edo period. First question from the reviewer is that one settlement classified within the pre-Edo period type, according to the materials the author presents, rather resembles ones belonging to the other type, so that his classification needs to be reexamined. Second and more essential problem is that he describes differences between two types but does not explain the mechanism in which the differences have appeared. It is worth discussion why they differ from each other by the formation period. However, we must be careful not to fall into "formation-period determinism," because the development of settlements also depends on such regional conditions as transportation. 2. There are some mummy deities only in the two religious settlements at the western foot of the Dewa-sanzan Mountains. The author emphasizes the strategy of temples which seem to have needed something new to attract pilgrims because of their little economic basis and loss of interests in the mountains after the Meiji Restoration (ca. 1870). His indication should be developed in connection with the thought of ascetics and the worship of the people. 3. The author criticizes past studies on religious area for incomplete procedures and points out that the hypothesis of concentric zone structure has not been demonstrated. He collects cases of the Dewa-sanzan belief from folkloric literature and finds out elements that are distributed in the form of concentric zones. They are age of pilgrims, way of connection in the religious group, and so on. By these indices Iwahana establishes the first to third religious zones represented in three concentric circles. That is, the first religious zone (within a radius of 50 kilometers) is marked by pilgrimage of younger generation forced by the community, and the second religious zone (a radius of 50 to 150 kilometers) is characterized by adult pilgrimage. In the third religious zone (a radius of 150 to 350 kilometers) old pious people go on a group pilgrimage. One problem during the argument process is that, in the case of age of pilgrims, the number of the instances is too small and they are clustered on a few areas. As to the other indices the author does not identify the cases exemplifying the respective zones' character, much less locates them on the map. Second and more essential problem is that it is not explained why the religious area has such concentric zone structure, namely the order and the radius of each zone. Applicability of Iwahana's "religious-area model" is not clear. When we compare mountain religion with other religions, we find out the peculiarity of the religious area of mountain religion. That is to say, it has only one conspicuous central place, because its religious area implicitly assumes the catchment basin of respective sacred mountains. Joining the study of religious area between mountain religion and other religions is a theme to be further explored. 4. The author criticizes past pilgrim studies for lacking perspectives on its religious aspects. He collects travel diaries to the Dewa-sanzan Mountains in the Edo period, and locates the pilgrim routes in 17 cases on the map. As a result he points out that the pilgrim route in the Edo period was a circuit, and concludes that the pilgrimage in the Edo period is a religious travel. In the reviewer's opinion there is a leap in his logic to the conclusion. He says the circular route is an essence of the religious travel, but it is doubtful. In order to insist religious aspects of the pilgrimage, its various phenomena besides the routes should be examined. The author makes this book by compiling his 17 past papers related to the title without revision. As a result there are some discrepancies in his opinion between sections. It is a pity that his present and overall view is not clear. On the whole this book presents many problems in the study of mountain religion, although his criticism is sometimes beside the point. In any case it shows the significance of geographical approach in the study of mountain religion and values of religious concerns in geography.
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