著者

神代 雄一郎 松本 勝邦

出版者

明治大学

雑誌

明治大学科学技術研究所紀要 (ISSN:03864944)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.10, pp.87-101, 1971

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The following is a report based on the actual survey conducted in 1970 at Sugajima, a fishing village located on a tiny island of the same name, about 2 kilometers north of Shima Peninsula. In spite of the fact that the island used to be under Ise's influence, the indigenous faith and customs have been preserved owing to its geographical location, that is to say, its insularity. The prominent feature of this village is that the almost all of the women in the community are Amas, woman divers, and the particularity of their occupation is reflected in the divine service called Shirongo-matsuri which is related with Shirahige Shrine and the buddhist service called Jinjin-bune. It is also worth noticing that the village has kept the population not over 1,000 and the number of houses less than 200 for along period. A community as Sugajima is the most ordinary case in the rural parts of Japan; it seems to be organized so well that neither the emergence of any single man of influence nor a threat of poverty is possible there. In case of Sugajima, the community is divided into ten effective groups and the delegates from each group keep the order of festival and operate the members' business through consulation. They also supervise the works of Amas in order that they may not indiscriminate fishing Awabi, ear-shell. If the port of the villege is well likened to the back of a hand, three roads go up gradually in the valley toward the hilltop, like three fingers, the houses being built on both sides of these roads. Each house is planned to have a court enclosed with a low stone hedge where fishers take care of their fishing implements, and these hedges stand in line on both sides of the road.