昨日は亡母の40年目の命日に当たる法事で、長兄の家にて兄姉が参集。
　４年後には父の命日からも「五十回忌」ということになります。ここまで多年にわたって欠かさず命日の供養を重ねられてきたこと、深く父母に感謝しております。
　その後、こういう機会をとらえての「家族会議」。年長の兄85歳、最年少の末っ子のわたしが74歳ということで、話はこの世のNEXTを踏まえたさまざまについてのエンドレス談義。これまでの日本社会が「家」制度中心社会だったものが、わたしたち世代になって「個人」主義が主流の社会に変容してきている。しかしそうは言っても家系ということの永続性も要件ではあり続けるだろうとの予測。
　そういうなかで、わたしたち世代はなにごとか、決めていく必要がある。
　情報では、札幌市の管理する墓園「里塚霊園」でも「墓仕舞い」が頻出してきているとのこと。
　一方で、ひとの自然な感情として父母への情愛は不変な価値だと思える。自分が父母から受けた情愛に対して、それをまったく無視して生きる人生など考えられない。そしてその父母からその先の祖先が永眠している墓という民族固有の伝統的価値は、やはり守り続けていく必要があるだろう。
　次兄から業務引継命令を受けてわたしが家系史と向き合っていることはみな了解してくれていて、長兄からも伝承されてきた書類や写真などを「基礎資料」として預けられた。
　疲れをひと眠りして解消後、大量の写真類などを整理整頓しておりますが、伝承の位牌に基づいて転記された檀家寺の監修による写真の「家系図」で再度、家系の流れを確認。一方でさりげなく、発見された「巻物」古文書もあった。
　こちらには「亨保の百姓一揆」と読み取れる記載まであって、まことに直撃されています。その当時の当主の「原平七」の名前も出てくるので、江戸期に書かれた文書であることは明白。
　「オイオイ」であります。わたしは古文書の筆文字解読には専門的知見がなく、わずかずつ単語が読み取れるレベルなので、その筋の専門家にあたって読み下してもらう必要がある。
　突然、難易度の高い資料が掘り起こされて、マジマジと見つめ続けさせられております。・・・

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English version⬇
　
[Memorial Service at the Family Home. Receiving the “Family Tree & Historical Documents” for Transcribing the Memorial Tablet]
I also temporarily took custody of a large number of photographs and documents stored at my parents’ home, provided by my eldest brother for reference. The family tree consists of the temple’s register of the deceased, which has been reviewed by the temple where our family worships. I sat down with the materials, maintaining a solemn demeanor. …

　Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of my late mother’s passing, and my siblings gathered at my eldest brother’s home for a memorial service.
In four years, it will also be the 50th anniversary of my father’s passing. I am deeply grateful to my parents for having faithfully observed memorial services on these anniversaries without fail for so many years.
Afterward, we took advantage of this opportunity to hold a “family meeting.” With my eldest brother being 85 and me, the youngest, being 74, our conversation turned into an endless discussion about various matters regarding the “next chapter” of life. While Japanese society has traditionally been centered around the “family” system, it has transformed into a society where “individualism” is the mainstream for our generation. However, we predicted that the continuity of family lineage will likely remain a necessary requirement.
In this context, our generation needs to make certain decisions.
　According to reports, “grave closures” are becoming increasingly common even at “Satotsuka Cemetery,” a cemetery managed by the City of Sapporo.
On the other hand, I believe that love for one’s parents is an unchanging value, a natural human emotion. I cannot imagine living a life that completely ignores the love I received from my parents. And the traditional, culturally unique value of the graves where our parents and ancestors rest in peace must surely continue to be preserved.
　Everyone understands that I am now engaged in researching our family history after receiving the order to take over the family business from my second eldest brother, and my eldest brother has entrusted me with documents and photographs passed down through the generations to serve as “basic reference materials.”
After catching a nap to relieve my fatigue, I am currently organizing the large collection of photographs. I am also re-confirming the family lineage using a “family tree” based on photographs supervised by our family temple, which were transcribed from the ancestral tablets passed down through the generations. Meanwhile, I also casually discovered an ancient “scroll” document.
It even contains a passage that reads “Kyōhō Peasants’ Uprising,” which hits very close to home. Since the name of the head of the family at that time, “Hara Heishichi,” appears, it is clear that this document was written during the Edo period.
　“Wow, wow.” I lack specialized knowledge in deciphering handwritten characters in ancient documents; I can only make out a few words at a time, so I’ll need to consult an expert in the field to have it transcribed.
Suddenly, a highly complex document has been unearthed, and I find myself staring at it intently. …

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Available on Amazon.

Posted on 5月 2nd, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類