大正期の東京下町・長屋暮らしの駄菓子屋さんに夕食時間が迫ってくる。そろそろ放課後の子どもたちの客足も途絶えてくると、店舗オーナーの母娘の食事作りが始まる。室内にあるキッチンらしき空間は「座り流し」と言われる台所空間。ほぼ１畳ほどの玄関同居空間。「え、これでどうやって？」と見ていたら、それなりの合理性。さらに長屋の共同炊事場が外部に備わっていて内外部連携型のキッチン空間だった。
まず座り流しの空間では、壁面にたくさんの炊事用具がきれいに収納されている。たった１畳ほどの空間に座って作業することで、基本的な作業が完結できるように工夫されている。現代人の食習慣とは微妙な違いが感じられるけれど、大筋では理解可能な食事作りのパーツ構成。写真右下側に水甕（かめ）がおかれていて生活に必要な水が運搬され保存されている。横にたらいがあって必要限度の洗いすすぎが可能。
２人暮らしなので食器の類は万事がコンパクトになっている。以下順に解説。①釜。炊飯器ですが、火力が薪炭なので「羽釜」といわれるつば付き。熱効率が高まるという節約術でもある。②七輪。持ち運びできる小型コンロ。③飯びつ。炊きあがったごはんを蓋付き木製容器。ヒノキ製が最良。④蠅帳（はいちょう）。左のいちばん上。蠅が入るのを防ぐ網を張ってある保存戸棚。食器ごと食べものを保管したりする。⑤簓（ささら）。棚の中段で右端に置かれている。竹筒の先を細かく割いた洗浄具。食器や桶を洗うときに用いる。現代で言えばタワシやスポンジに相当か。
真ん中にある柱の最上部には火の用心の神さま「荒神」が祀られ、また天井の一部は開口できる天窓になって排煙の用も満たしている。みごとなコンパクト空間。現代でここまでの機能集中の空間想像力は見られるでしょうか。エコの工夫は江戸期の長屋暮らしが由来なのではと強い印象。


一方こちらは外部の共同空間。雨天には使いにくいだろうけれど、使える時間には長屋中の人びとが参集してさまざまな話題で口コミが行われただろう。お互いが形式張らない付き合い方になる一方、できるだけ隣人に迷惑を掛けない気配りの精神が起こっていった。こうした共有空間で、下町独特の人情や気質が育まれていったと思える。
建物内部のコンパクトな機能性と共同空間での比較的大ぶりな洗浄力、水源。この両方が組み合わさりエコロジカルな暮らし方を実現させていた。こういう都市生活の基本機能の生活伝統というのは江戸期からさらに遡って、古来からの日本人の基本的なライフスタイルだったのだろうと思われる。現代の暮らしというのもこのような機能性が出自であり、そこで育まれた知恵がベース。各機能がそれぞれ面積拡大したと言えるけれど、日本人は空間が狭くても柔軟な対応力を持っていることが浮き彫りになる。

English version⬇

The ultimate rational function-intensive kitchen: “Space Density” of a downtown row house – 3
The basic functions incorporated in an eye-catching compact space. Rationality of life realized from Japanese DNA. The ultimate rational function-intensive kitchen.

Dinner time is approaching at a tenement-living candy shop in downtown Tokyo during the Taisho era. When the after-school children stop coming, the mother and daughter of the store owner begin to prepare a meal. The kitchen-like space inside the room is a kitchen space known as a “sitting sink. It is almost a one-tatami-mat space living together with the entrance. I looked at it and thought, “Eh, how can they do this?” I found it to be quite reasonable. Furthermore, the kitchen space was equipped with a common kitchen of a tenement house on the outside, and was a kitchen space that linked inside and outside.
First of all, in the space with a sink, a lot of cooking utensils are neatly stored on the wall. The kitchen is designed so that basic tasks can be completed by sitting down to work in a space only about one tatami mat in size. The composition of the parts of meal preparation is understandable in general, although there are some subtle differences from modern people’s eating habits. In the lower right side of the photo, a water jar is placed to transport and store water necessary for daily life. A washbasin is next to it for washing and rinsing.
Since two people live in the house, all tableware is compact. The following is an explanation in this order. (1) Kettle. It is a rice cooker, but with a brim called a “hagama” (winged kettle) because the heat is provided by wood-fired coals. It is also a way to save money by increasing thermal efficiency. (2) Shichirin. A small stove that can be carried around. (3) Rice cooker. A wooden container with a lid to hold the cooked rice. Hinoki (Japanese cypress) is the best. (4) A fly-net. The top one on the left. A storage cupboard covered with netting to prevent flies from entering. It is used to store food with dishes. (5) A bamboo whisk. It is placed in the middle of the shelf at the right end. A bamboo tube with the tip split into small pieces. It is used to wash dishes and tubs. In modern terms, it is equivalent to a scrubbing brush or sponge.
At the top of the pillar in the center is enshrined the god of fire, “Aragami,” and part of the ceiling has a skylight that can be opened to exhaust smoke. A beautifully compact space. Is it possible to find such a functionally concentrated spatial imagination in the modern age? I have the strong impression that the ecological innovations originated in the tenement lifestyle of the Edo period.

On the other hand, this is the outside communal space. Although it would be difficult to use this space in the event of rain, people from all over the tenement would gather there to discuss various topics of conversation when it was available. While the people would be informal with each other, they would also be attentive to not bothering their neighbors as much as possible. In this shared space, it is likely that the human feelings and disposition unique to the downtown area were nurtured.
The compact functionality of the building’s interior and the relatively large cleaning capacity and water source in the common space. The combination of these two elements made for a truly ecological way of life. This tradition of living with the basic functions of city life seems to have been the basic lifestyle of the Japanese people since ancient times, going back even further than the Edo period. Modern lifestyle is also based on this kind of functionality and the wisdom nurtured there. It can be said that each function has expanded in area, but it also highlights that Japanese people have the ability to be flexible even when space is limited.

Posted on 2月 3rd, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅性能・設備, 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

昨日も北海道庁の住宅施策検討会議があって多くのみなさんとのリアルの会合がありました。２類から５類への社会対応の移行、いよいよ活発になって来たと言えるのでしょうか。やはりリアルでの情報交換では「触発される」とか「あらたな気付きがある」という機縁が圧倒的に多いと思います。一昨日ある女性設計者と話していて、空間の豊かさと広さの関係について議論というか話題を共有していました。
まぁ気付きの背景には最近の建築コストの上昇があって、それへの対応として「小さく作る」ことが必然化してきているけれど、ユーザーの側でもこの面積的なことは、小さくなるからそれで暮らしが不幸せになるとは必ずしも受け止めていないのではないか、という話題だったのですね。空間の「密度」を高められれば、それはそれで対応して行くことは可能なのではないか、という当然な再発見。
で、最近わたしの古民家行脚で面白くてすごく気になっていた「江戸下町の長屋の空間利用」についてしっかりチェックして見たくなったという次第なのです。
写真は東京の「台東区立・下町風俗資料館」展示の長屋〜駄菓子屋さん。江戸時代に淵源を持つ長屋文化のひとつの典型事例で実際に使われていたモノばかり。面積もほぼ4.5畳の店舗・玄関部分と居室６畳（収納1.5畳含む）の２部屋という長屋住居。駄菓子屋という店舗形式もいまの若い世代には実体験がないだろうと思いますが、子ども向けにかれらの想像力をマーケットにしたさまざまな食品や玩具がそれこそ所狭しと満艦飾。しかも主要顧客はこどもたちなので動線面積も極小で済む（笑）。足の踏み場が多少なくなっても、そもそもこだわりを持たない顧客層なので、むしろ自由闊達な空間密度ワールドが展開している。


子どもたちにとってはこの駄菓子屋は、非日常的な色彩感覚と圧倒的な想像力刺激空間であったに違いない。ひとつひとつの小さな駄菓子類、玩具的デコレーションの満艦飾はまさにパラレルワールドが地上に降り立ったような場所だった。いま現代ではほとんど失われた店舗形式だけれど、わたしたち年代の空間想像力のなかで特異な体験領域を作っていると思う。たぶん現代でもこんな店舗が実際に存在したら子どもたちは大いに刺激されることは疑いがない。面積的な「狭さ」に対してそれを否定的な要素ととらえる考え方は、まるでなかったように思う。
この駄菓子屋は母娘で実際に営まれていた店舗を再現したとされている。たしかにこういう店舗空間の主宰者としては母性に満ちた思考法がふさわしいだろうと思える。大きいことはいいことだ、みたいな英雄志向型の男の感じ方とは違う、空間の密度に於いてはやさしさが支配する濃密な空間。そんな空間記憶の再発掘を試みたい。以下数回、こちらの駄菓子屋さんを探訪してみますのでよろしく。

English version⬇

Spatial Density” of a downtown tenement house in a candy storefront -1
A parallel world where mothers and daughters have connected their lives as their livelihood. Rediscover the “rich narrowness” of Japanese-style stores that continued from the Edo period to the “postwar” period. …

Yesterday, I had a real meeting with many people at the Hokkaido Government’s Housing Policy Review Meeting, and I guess you could say that the transition from Category 2 to Category 5 is finally becoming more active. I think that the overwhelming majority of opportunities to exchange information in real life are “inspired” or “newly realized”. The day before yesterday, I was talking with a female designer and we were discussing the relationship between the richness and spaciousness of space.
Well, the background of the realization is the recent rise in construction costs, and “making things smaller” has become a necessity as a response to that, but the topic was whether users do not necessarily accept that the smaller size makes their lives less happy. It was a natural rediscovery that if the “density” of the space can be increased, it is possible to cope with the situation.
I wanted to check out the “use of space in a tenement house in downtown Edo,” which has been of great interest to me recently during my visits to old private houses.
The photo shows a tenement house and a candy shop on display at the Taito City Museum of Shitamachi Folk Customs in Tokyo. It is a typical example of the tenement culture that originated in the Edo period. It is a tenement dwelling with a 4.5-mat storefront and entrance area and two 6-mat living rooms (including a 1.5-mat storage room). The store is a tenement dwelling with a 4.5-mat store/entrance area and a 6-mat living room (including a 1.5-mat storage room). The store format of a candy store is also something that the younger generation of today may never have experienced. And since the main customers are children, the traffic flow area can be kept to a minimum (laughs). (Laughter) Even if there is little space to step on, the customers are not particular about what they want to buy, so a world of free and open space density is developing.

For children, this candy store must have been a space of extraordinary colors and overwhelming imagination stimulation. Each small candy bar was decorated with toy-like decorations, and it was as if a parallel world had landed on earth. Although the store format is almost completely lost today, I think it creates a unique experience area in the spatial imagination of our generation. I have no doubt that if such a store actually existed today, children would be greatly stimulated. I don’t think there was ever any notion that “smallness” in terms of area was a negative factor.
This candy shop is said to be a reproduction of a store that was actually run by a mother and daughter. Indeed, a motherly way of thinking would be appropriate for the presiding owner of such a store space. It is a dense space dominated by gentleness in terms of spatial density, which is different from the hero-oriented man’s feeling that “big is good. I would like to try to re-excavate such spatial memory. I will try to explore this candy shop a few times below.

Posted on 2月 1st, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

５回にわたって「徳島三木家住宅」の発掘型住宅取材を行ってきた。前後するのだけれどわたしは昨年に房総南端、館山を訪れる機会があって地域の博物館などでその歴史を探っていた。房総地域というのは古代から「麻」の栽培が盛んだったとされている。WEB検索で「総（ふさ）の国」と入力すると「四国の阿波の忌部氏は黒潮に乗って房総半島に進出し、この地の良質な麻を栽培したことから「総（ふさ＝麻）の国」と呼ばれるようになり、後に2つに分けられ、上総（かみつふさが短縮）、下総（しもふさ）の国名となりました。」という記述に突き当たる。
中臣氏（藤原氏）との朝廷内部での勢力争いの敗勢から地方進出に活路を見出した「忌部氏」が房総の国の開発利権を賜ったという経緯について連載記事でもまとめた。そして上総・下総と並んで「安房」と同音の国名が地域名として命名され残っている。部民一族の神聖な生産様式伝統が、朝廷儀礼としての麁服（あらたえ）の調進ということからあきらかな歴史痕跡として見えてくるのだ。上の写真は館山市博物館展示での最初期開拓民の生活様式をジオラマ化したもの。忌部氏の部民の房総への進出は、初期から波動のように移住開拓がされていったことだろう。最初の移住者たちはこのような黒潮魚類捕食と洞窟居住からスタートを切った。


本国阿波に残留した一族は、安房に進出した同胞について祈り続けたに違いない。部民のなかから若者世代を選抜して長久を願って送り出した。日本史の中でのこういう地域進出は直近ではわたしたち北海道民が経験してきたこと。わたしは地域進出後の第３世代に属するのだけれど、やはりはるかな故地への思いは個人の範囲を超える重さがある。現代では交通も発達して相互移動することは容易だが、この当時はそれこそ「水杯」を交わしての決死の別れを経て移住してきたのだろう。若い移住世代たちは新天地での浪漫に胸を焦がしたか、ちょうど現生人類の拡散同様のことがこのように繰り返されて現代があるのだろう。



血縁的にはあまり縁がなかった三木家住宅探訪記ですが、しかし個人的には「運命的に」（笑）導かれているように感じられた。関東という地域も弥生の稲作農業が拡散していく過程でこのような移住民たちが進出して地域開発がされていったのだろう。そして日本民族の場合、すぐに社会の中心に神社のような「公共空間」が開発されていく。上の写真の「安房神社」はこうした部民一族としてのはるかな記憶の象徴・固定化の役割も担ってきたと思う。洞窟痕跡が神域に散在しているのは、一族としての進出最初期の記憶の継承を考えたものか。洞窟も住宅として機能したに違いない。先人の生き様の鮮明な痕跡。
住宅というものの基本的役割、人間文化のコアを誇りを持って保守すること。その実質をさまざまな側面から教えてくれた徳島・三木家住宅だったと思っている。

English version⬇

From Awa to Boso Awa, Tokushima, Miki Family Residence Spin-out Edition
The Awa Imobe clan developed the region of Boso, Chiba as a group. At first, they lived in caves and secured food through fishing, and gradually developed the region by promoting hemp production. The Awa Imobe clan lived in caves to secure food by fishing, and gradually developed the area through hemp production.

I had the opportunity to visit Tateyama, located at the southern tip of Boso, last year, and I have been exploring the history of the area at a local museum and other places. It is said that hemp has been cultivated extensively in the Boso area since ancient times. When I typed in the word “Fusa-no-kuni” in a search engine, I came across the following description: “The Imobe clan of Awa in Shikoku rode the Kuroshio Current to the Boso Peninsula and cultivated the high-quality hemp of this region, which led to the name of the region as “Fusa-no-kuni” (the land of “So”). This is the description of the “Kami-sousa” and “Shimotsousa.
In the series of articles, we learn that the Imobe clan, which had found a way to expand into the provinces after losing a power struggle with the Nakatomi clan (Fujiwara clan), was granted the development rights of the country of Boso. The name of the country, which has the same sound as “Awa” as well as “Kamisusa” and “Shimosusa,” remains as the name of the region. The tradition of the sacred production style of the tribal clans of the area, which involved the preparation of clothing as a ritual for the imperial court, is clearly visible as a trace of history. The photo above is a diorama of the lifestyle of the earliest settlers in the Tateyama City Museum exhibit. In the early days of the Imobe clan’s expansion into Boso, the settling of the area must have occurred in waves. The first settlers started from this kind of predatory lifestyle and cave dwelling.

The family members who remained in their homeland of Awa must have continued to pray. The young generation was selected from among the tribe members and sent out with the hope of longevity. This kind of regional expansion in Japanese history has been experienced most recently by the people of Hokkaido. Although I am a member of the third generation after the regional expansion, my feelings for the faraway land of my ancestors are beyond the scope of an individual. Today, transportation has developed to the point where it is easy to move from one place to another, but in those days, people probably migrated after exchanging “water cups” and parting with each other in mortal combat. The younger generation of immigrants may have been excited by the prospect of a new land, or they may have repeated the same process of spreading the present-day human race.

Although I was not related to the Miki family in blood, however, I personally felt as if I was “destined” (laugh) to be led to the Miki family’s house. It is likely that the Kanto region was also developed by these immigrants who moved into the area as Yayoi rice agriculture spread throughout society. In the case of the Japanese people, “public spaces” such as shrines were soon developed at the center of society. In particular, I believe that the Awa Shrine has played the role of symbolizing and fixing the memories of these tribal peoples. The fact that the cave traces are scattered throughout the shrine is a way of passing on the memories of the first phase of the clan’s expansion. The caves must have also functioned as residences. Traces of our ancestors’ way of life.
I believe that the Miki family residence in Tokushima taught us from various aspects the basic role of a house and the need to maintain the core of human culture with pride.

Posted on 1月 30th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

同姓ということで古民家探索人としては強い興味を持って参観した徳島・三木家住宅。わたしの血脈とは違うけれど「忌部氏」としての生き様に静かに打たれております。住宅取材というのは結局は「いい家」を探究することだと思っていますが、同時にリスペクトできる生き方というものが、ある種のスパイスになって空間性の美感を支配するということに感動させられる。
１枚目の写真は四国の中央部の山地での暮らしぶりの眺望。平成と令和の大嘗祭で麁服（あらたえ）の調進を果たした当主の三木信夫氏のインタビューが新聞記事アーカイブで確認できた。「麻を栽培する畑を整地し春に種をまく。何度も間引きをしながら約100日で成長した麻を収穫し、茎の天日干しから煮沸、皮を剥ぐなどの工程を経て麻の繊維を紡いでいき『麁服』が完成する。麁服にできる麻は気温が平地よりも3～5度低い高地といった限られた場所でしか栽培できない。この繊細な技術を確実に継承していくことは今後の課題だ」
この三木家住宅には古文書が伝承されていて、1260年鎌倉期の亀山天皇即位儀礼・大嘗祭での麁服の調進記録が残されているという。たぶんその時代から現在地で忌部氏・三木家一族は住み続けてきたのだろう。箱木千年家は兵庫県にある本当に千年以上経過の旧家だけれど、この家もまた同程度の歴史を見出しうる。代々の墓域での実体感からは、いわば家存続の強烈な、連綿たる意志力を感じさせられる。
住宅性能という革新を体験してきた北海道に暮らす現代日本人として、こういう種類の家の価値感というものにも深く打たれる思いがしていた。いわば人として生きる使命感、それを担保する地道な生き方の実践。そういう種類の家系的な価値感というものだろうか。
建築としての家には古格な雰囲気がただよっている。デザインはシンプルな端正さを保持し、機能性にまっとうに帰依した様子が伝わってくる。２枚目の内部写真は公開されているPDF資料からの転載。


家のデザインには独特の表現性があると思っている。安藤忠雄さんのように芸術者的な表現もあることは理解できるし、それを良しと考える施主の自由意志もあって然るべきだとも思っている。また地域の「らしさ」をしっかりと保持し永続させていこうと考える全国各地での草の根の街並み文化保存的なデザイン意思にも強い共感・好感を持つ。
この三木家住宅のデザインからは、シンプルな機能性がもたらす直接性、生き抜く意思が伝わってくる。四国とはいえこの山岳高地では冬に厳しい寒さもあるだろう。その厳しい条件下で家系の使命に真っ正直に生き抜いていくという心底を強く感じさせられた。こういう種類の「美感」には、強い尊崇の念を思う。
こういう家が高断熱高気密仕様で改修されさらに永い存続が可能になれば、次世代へのバトン受け継ぎに役立つのかも知れない。そんな願いがふと、こころをよぎった。

English version⬇

A way of life and residential construction that martyrs the family’s mission　The Miki Family Residence in Tokushima, Japan – 4
This ancient house design conveys the strong will power of the clan. Perhaps it is the performance of the house that is appropriate for a way of life that perpetuates the family’s lineage. The house is designed to be a symbol of the family’s mission and the family’s strong willpower.

I visited the Miki Family Residence in Tokushima with great interest as an explorer of old private houses because we share the same family name. I was quietly struck by the way of life of the “Imobe clan,” even though it is different from my own bloodline. I believe that the coverage of housing is ultimately a search for “good houses,” but at the same time, I was moved by the fact that a way of life that I can respect becomes a kind of spice that dominates the sense of beauty of the space.
The first photo is a view of the way of life in the central mountainous region of Shikoku. An interview with Nobuo Miki, the head of the family, who performed the preparation of the clothing for the tamesai ceremonies in Heisei and 2022, can be found in the newspaper article archives. He said, “The fields where hemp is cultivated are cleared and the seeds are sown in the spring. The hemp stalks are then dried in the sun, boiled, and skinned before the hemp fibers are spun into “clothes. The hemp that can be used to make clothes can only be grown in limited areas, such as highlands where the temperature is 3 to 5 degrees lower than in the plains. It is our future task to ensure that this delicate technique is passed on to the next generation.
The Miki family’s residence has an old document that records the preparation of clothes for the ceremonial accession to the throne of Emperor Kameyama in 1260 during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the first Emperor Kameyama’s death. Probably since that time, the Imobe and Miki families have continued to live in the present location. The Hakoki millennial family is truly a millennial family in Hyogo Prefecture, but this family can also be traced back to the same period. The sense of substance in the graveyard of generations of the family gives one a sense of the strong, unbroken willpower of the family to continue its existence.
As a modern Japanese living in Hokkaido, which has experienced innovations in housing performance, I was deeply moved by the sense of value of this kind of house. A sense of mission to live as a human being, so to speak, and the practice of a steady way of life to ensure it. This kind of family values, I suppose. The house as an architectural structure has an old-fashioned atmosphere. The third interior photo is a reproduction from a publicly available PDF document.

I believe that house design has a unique expressiveness. I understand that there is an artistic expression, such as that of Tadao Ando, and I also believe that there should be the free will of the client who thinks it is a good idea. I also have a strong sympathy and liking for the grass-roots design intent to preserve and perpetuate the “character” of the local community.
The design intent of the Miki family residence conveys the directness of simple functionality and the will to survive. Even though it is in Shikoku, there must be severe cold in winter in this mountainous highland. I was strongly impressed by the family’s heartfelt determination to live out their family’s mission honestly under such severe conditions. I have a strong sense of reverence for this kind of “sense of beauty. If such a house could be renovated to “highly insulated and airtight” specifications to ensure its longevity, it might be useful in passing the baton to the next generation. Such a wish suddenly crossed my mind.

Posted on 1月 28th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

本日も徳島県の山間の「空中住居」とでもいえる三木家住宅その２であります。
わたしたち現代人は利便性最優先で経済的根拠に基づいて住宅を建てたり、購入する場所を選んでいる。これが支配的で多くの場合、職場との時間距離と見合うかで判断して居住地を決定するケースが多いのだと思う。
一方でそれとは違って先祖代々その土地に住み続けて、そうすることが自然だと考えて住んでいるというケースもあるだろう。日本社会の構造としての食糧生産システム、農村社会のありようがそれに相当する。前者が現代的経済効率に根拠を置くのに対して、こちらは伝統的な経済共同体の価値感を重視する考え方と言えるのだろう。日本的ムラ社会もまた過去から経済基盤最優先の居住選択だろう。山岳地域での棚田主力では「水利」の面で困難が伴うので、その多くは水利を第１に考えた立地環境、多くは河川流域を開発した地域に立地する。
この徳島県の山岳高地に点在居住する共同体の中核的古民家を見ていると、どうもそういった常識的価値感とは違った生き様を見る思いがしてくる。いわば現代生活とも伝統的農業ムラ共同体社会とも違う、古代的なスピリチュアルな価値感、といったものを感じさせられていた。
上の写真はこの三木家住宅の「麻畑」とおぼしき畑地と令和の麁服（あらたえ）調進を成し遂げた記念碑。畑地は整然と区画されて入口には鳥居まで建てられている。この内部で朝廷に調進される麻が育成されていたと推定できる。訪問時にはシカの糞が随所で散見された。そういう光景も自然な施肥のように思えて意味ありげと思われる。自然環境と共生することが「神宿る」ことの実質と感じられるのだ。こうした高地をあえて居住地として選択する意思には、忌部氏という部民としての古代的価値感があるのだろう。「神がかり」ということが上位価値感であるという意思がこの地では現代まで一定の存続を果たしてきている。その奇跡性。


そういう奇跡性を表すようにこの三木家には鎌倉から室町にかけての古文書「三木家文書」が残されている。写真は文保２（1318）年の後醍醐天皇の大嘗会（天皇践祚）時点でのもので、上の方は勅使が神部２人を連れて阿波国に下向する旨を国司に申し渡した文書。下は官宣旨という「下文」とされ、先例に倣って麁服（あらたえ）を織らせるようにという申し渡しの内容。

さらには南北朝の時代、正平22（1368）年という南朝で使われた元号年で表された三木家当主・重村に宛てられた「感状」の綸旨。鎌倉時代末には三木家は南朝に忠誠を尽くした地域武士団の棟梁であったという。脈々と古代的価値感が根付いていることに驚く。四国の山深い地域、現代ではほとんど限界集落と思える地域で、こういう「神宿る」価値感が残り続けていることは、ある種、民俗の底深さを教えてくれる。
日本という国家社会にはまちがいなくこういう山上での空中生活を「神との共生」として尊崇するスピリチュアルな部分が根底にあるのだと思う。アイヌの人びとの伝統的価値感とも通底するような、歴史以前社会から連綿と伝わる民族性の実質なのだろう。先般見た高鴨神社のように弥生以前をも感じさせる。
現代社会はこういう神々しさをどのように未来へ手渡していけるのだろうか？

English version⬇

Commitment to a mountain highland lifestyle where the gods reside　MIKI Residence, Tokushima – 2
Ancient “kamikari” life on the mountain, which is different from the rural village community. The spiritual values of this lifestyle remind us of the roots of folklore. Tokushima, Japan

Today, we continue our look at the Miki Family Residence #2, an “aerial dwelling” in the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture.
We modern people choose where to build or buy a house based on economic rationale, placing the highest priority on convenience. In many cases, this is the dominant factor, and in many cases, people decide where to live based on the distance from their workplace in time.
On the other hand, there may be other cases where people have lived in the same place for generations, and they live there because they think it is natural to do so. The food production system as a structure of Japanese society and the way rural society is organized correspond to these cases. While the former is based on modern economic efficiency, the latter emphasizes the values of a traditional economic community. The Japanese “mura” society has also placed the highest priority on economic infrastructure in its choice of settlement. Since terraced rice paddies in mountainous areas are difficult to manage in terms of “water use,” most of them are located in areas where water use is the primary consideration, often in developed river basins.
Looking at these old private houses, which are the core of the community living scattered in the mountainous highlands of Tokushima Prefecture, one gets the impression of a way of life that differs from such common sense values. I felt a sense of ancient spiritual values that are different from those of modern life and traditional farming communities.
The photo above shows what appears to be the “hemp field” of the Miki family residence and the monument that commemorates the completion of the “araatae” ceremony in 2025. The field is neatly divided into sections, and even a torii gate has been erected at the entrance. It can be presumed that hemp to be supplied to the Imperial Court was cultivated in this area. When we visited, deer droppings were found everywhere. Such a sight seemed to be a natural way of fertilization and meaningful. It seems to me that living in harmony with the natural environment is the essence of “dwelling with the gods. The intention to choose such highlands as a place to live may be due to the ancient sense of value of the aborigines as a tribe. The will that “kami hakari” is a higher value has survived to the present day in this area. The miraculousness of it.

As if to show such miraculousness, the Miki family has left behind an old document, the Miki Family Document, dating from Kamakura to Muromachi period. The upper one is a document in which an imperial envoy sent a notice to the provincial governor that he was going down to Awa province with two Shinto priests. The lower part is said to be a “letter of condolence” called “kansenjinshin,” in which the imperial envoy instructed the provincial governor to have them weave clothes in accordance with the precedent.

Furthermore, in the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the “Kanjou” (impressed letter) addressed to Shigemura, the head of the Miki family, expressed in the year Shohei 22 (1368), the original year used by the Southern Dynasties. By the end of the Kamakura period, the Miki family was the leader of a local warrior clan loyal to the Southern Court. It is surprising that ancient values have taken root in the area from generation to generation. The fact that such a sense of “kami shuku” (the gods reside in the land) continues to exist in a mountainous region of Shikoku, an area that today seems almost a marginal settlement, tells us something about the depths of folklore.
I have no doubt that Japan’s national society has a spiritual basis in its reverence for this kind of aerial life on the mountains as “coexistence with the gods. This is the essence of the ethnicity that has been handed down from pre-historic society, which is also the same as the traditional values of the Ainu people. Like the Takagamo Shrine I saw the other day, it also reminds us of the Yayoi period.
How can modern society pass on this kind of godliness to the future?

Posted on 1月 26th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 古民家シリーズ, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »