著者
速水 侑 ネビン パトリック
出版者
東海大学
雑誌
東海大学紀要. 文学部 (ISSN:05636760)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.81, pp.156-130, 2004-09-30

This article presents the results from a questionnaire survey conducted in order to determine the effects of population influx on traditional Shinto behavior as performed by residents in two regional cities. This study focuses mainly upon New Years' shrine visits (hatsumode) and festival participation (matsuri), both considered to be traditional Shinto behavior, while treating shrine visits as individualistic behavior and festival participation as collectivistic behavior. The goal was to show how population influx affects the choice of shrine or festival and the reasons for performing that behavior. Factors considered include length of residence, parishioner relationship, frequency of behavior and age; survey format and hypothesis was inspired by Morioka (1968). The results for shrine visits show that while there is a relationship between length of residence and the "delocalization" of behavior, hatsumode continues to have strong social importance as a traditional custom, whereas in the results for festival participation there is an increasing shift from shrine festivals to secular municipal festivals, with the most popular reasons for going to festivals ("festivals are popular and fun" and "to ensure good childhood memories for one's children") reflecting this shift.