本文へジャンプ

【大雪直撃(泣)のなかの新年本格始動】


昨日10日より通常業務が開始という会社は多いだろうと思います。わたしはちょっと札幌を離れていたのですが、昨日帰還。いきなりの大雪の風景が出迎えてくれました(泣)。
知人の北海道内の住宅研究者のTさんからは住宅系時事ネタ復帰へのブロックサインも出ていました。北海道の住まいと暮らしにとって「雪との付き合い方」は永く続くテーマ。札幌は年間積雪が6mを超えるという世界で稀な多雪地域の大都市圏。参考までに「札幌を東京地域に重ねたら」地図が以下。

〜https://hokkaido.press/sapocan/より引用。〜
東はほぼ千葉市近くまで及び、西は横浜市をも飲み込む勢い。さらに北はさいたま市を包囲している。関東を動き回るときこういうルートで動くと、高速を使っても相当の時間が掛かる。渋滞まで計算したら丸1日程度、移動するのに掛かるのではないか。これほどに都市面積がデカいので「除雪」のために費やさなければならない費用コストが巨大。この冬はそう大きな降雪がなく、やや安心していたのではありますが、そうは問屋が卸してはくれない。

なんですが、わが家の周辺には夜の間に除雪が来てくれて、ご覧のようなスッキリ感であります。札幌を離れていたけれど建物周辺の雪処理も家人スタッフがやってくれていて感謝であります。罪滅ぼしにこれから雪処理を一生懸命やっていきたいのですが、チョコチョコと出張予定も入ってくる。そうするとその日程を狙ったように降雪があるのが困ったものなんですけど・・・。


さてこの除雪費用について、なんとかコスト削減を図っていくのが札幌市のサスティナビリティ優先度高めテーマ。市民生活の利便性と除雪費用の費用対効果を見定めて安定的な着地点を展望する必要がある。現状では合計で215.8億円程度掛かっているのですね。最近話題になっているコスト削減策というのは、徹底的に除排雪するのではなく「ほどほどの圧雪状態」で「やりすごそう」という作戦。
昨年あたりから市民の話題になってきているのですが、この施策も運用がなかなか難しい。タイミングとバランス配分次第では市民からの苦情爆発も避けられないのであります。

予報では本日から週末に掛けて今度は気温高めなんだとか。そうすると今度は道路面の圧雪が「グチャグチャ」雪に変貌する可能性が高い。今年も忘れずやってきた大雪さん、お久しぶりであります。まぁ切っても切れない関係なので気長に末永いお付き合い。なまあたたかく、よろしくであります(笑)。

English version⬇

The New Year started in earnest in the midst of a heavy snowstorm.
General Winter took advantage of the moment when I was away from Sapporo for a little while. We will welcome him warmly this year as well. The New Year is just around the corner.

I am sure that many companies have started their normal business operations since yesterday, the 10th. I was away from Sapporo for a while, but returned yesterday. I was suddenly greeted with a heavy snow scene (tears).
Mr. T, a housing researcher in Hokkaido, who is an acquaintance of mine, gave me a block sign to return to the housing-related current affairs. For housing and living in Hokkaido, “how to deal with snow” is an enduring theme. Sapporo is a metropolitan area with an annual snowfall of over 6 meters, which is rare in the world for a metropolitan area with heavy snowfall. For reference, the map below shows Sapporo superimposed on the Tokyo area.
To the east, it extends almost to Chiba City, and to the west, it is threatening to swallow Yokohama City. It also encircles Saitama City in the north. When moving around the Kanto region along these routes, it takes a considerable amount of time even if you use the expressway. If traffic jams are included in the calculation, it would take about a full day to travel around. The cost of “snow removal” is huge for such a large city. We were somewhat relieved that there was no significant snowfall this winter, but that is not the case with us.

However, the snow plows came to the area around our house during the night, and as you can see, it is very clear. Although I was away from Sapporo, my wife’s staff took care of the snow around our building, and I am very grateful to them. I would like to make up for my sins by doing my best to clean up the snow from now on, but I also have some business trips coming up. I am also planning to go on a few business trips, but it’s a problem that the snow falls on the same dates as my business trips….

Now, the city of Sapporo’s sustainability priority theme is to somehow reduce the cost of snow removal. It is necessary to determine the cost-effectiveness of snow removal costs in relation to the convenience of citizens’ lives, and to look for a stable landing point. Currently, the total cost is about 21.58 billion yen. A cost-cutting measure that has been talked about recently is the strategy of “getting by” with “moderately compacted snow” instead of thorough snow removal.
This has been a topic of conversation among citizens since last year, but it is also quite difficult to implement this measure. Depending on the timing and the distribution of the balance, an explosion of complaints from citizens may be inevitable.

According to the forecast, the temperature will be higher from today through the weekend. If this happens, there is a high possibility that the compacted snow on the road surface will turn into “squishy” snow. It has been a long time since we have had a heavy snowfall this year. We are inseparable, so please be patient with us for a long time to come. I wish you a long and fruitful relationship with us.

【「町の鍛冶屋」ふいごも休まず  江戸期・房総町家-4】




唱歌で「村の鍛冶屋」という歌が歌われていた。あれは江戸期を過ぎて明治になって国民皆教育制度が始まったときに音楽の題材として取り上げられたもの。このブログの前シリーズでも「鍛冶屋」は取り上げたが、この時代までは確実にこのように庶民の暮らしのなかに存在していたのだ。
歴史的には日本列島に水田農耕が導入された3000年前くらいから、鉄製農具は産業利器として欠かせない存在であり補修も含めて鍛冶屋はきわめて枢要な社会的存在だっただろう。音楽唱歌を定めたとき日本人として、この生業を外すことは常識では考えられなかったのだと思う。
唱歌での謳われ方も、非常に活動的で「活気」そのものの社会存在として活写されていた。「ふいごも休まず」という一生懸命さは日本社会のダイナミズムの象徴でもあったのだろうか。
農機具は毎日のように使用するものであり、相手にする田畑から石などが露出してきて刃先が欠けるなどは日常的に発生しただろう。高価だったことが自明なその農具は人びとの命とくらしにとってかけがえのない存在。村の鍛冶屋はその「命綱」として有用だった。子どもたちにとってもワクワクする作業ぶりだっただろうし、またそういう職人仕事の見事さにこころが奪われてもいただろう。おとなの人間の職業としてリスペクトを強く感じさせてくれる存在だった。

この房総のむらではひとつの「町家」として展示され、また写真のように実演もされているので子どもたちを中心にたくさんの見物を集めていた。鉄製品を加熱して加工しやすいようにして、叩いて成形していく。その変形していく様子は、役立つものが目に見えて生産されていくプロセスを目に焼き付けさせる。
職人さんの周りにはたくさんの「依頼品」が持ち込まれていて、「ああ、あれはこんなふうに傷んでいるんだ」「どうやって直していくのだろう」というように製造補修の「想像力」を大いに刺激してくれる。そしてそれが目の前で直されていく。自分の想像通りのプロセスであれば「そうかやっぱり」と納得できるし、意外な補修がされていくと「おお、こんな考え方、やり方の方が合理的なんだ」というように社会教育されていく。
こういう社会教育には教科書はたぶん意味がない(笑)。また教えられたことについてテストの点数評価もできにくいだろう。職人さんには独特のスタイルがあり、そのひとなりの合理性根拠があってやり方はたぶん千差万別。ただ目的に対して真摯に向き合っていく生き方とか姿勢とかが、見る者に伝わっていくものだろう。子どもたちはそういう大人の姿を見て、さまざまにこころでピンナップしていく。いわばこころを育てる教育なのだろうか。

English version⬇

The town’s blacksmith” and “fugo (blowtorch)” never rests.
The wisdom and ingenuity of adults who provided social educational opportunities for children from the Edo period to the early Showa period. It conveys the importance of being useful to others.

The song “The Village Blacksmith” was sung in Shoka. That was taken up as a subject for music when the universal education system started in the Meiji era after the Edo period. The “blacksmith” was also discussed in the previous series of this blog, and up until this time, it certainly existed in the daily lives of the common people in this way.
Historically, iron agricultural tools were indispensable as industrial tools from around 3,000 years ago when rice paddy farming was introduced to the Japanese archipelago, and the blacksmith, including repair work, was probably an extremely important social presence. When the Japanese people wrote the musical shoka, it would have been unthinkable to exclude this occupation from their lives.
The way it was described in the shoka was also very active, and depicted a social existence of “vitality” itself. The “Fugo mo mo yasumu” (Never rest, no matter how hard you work) may have been a symbol of the dynamism of Japanese society.
Farm machinery was used daily, and chipping of the cutting edges would have occurred on a daily basis due to exposure to stones and other debris from the fields they were working in. It is obvious that these expensive farming implements were irreplaceable for people’s lives and livelihoods. The village blacksmith was useful as a “lifeline. The work must have been exciting for the children, and they must have been fascinated by the beauty of such craftsmanship. It was an existence that made me feel a strong respect for it as a profession for adults.

At this Boso no Mura, it was displayed as a single “machiya” (townhouse) and was also demonstrated as shown in the photo, attracting many spectators, especially children. Iron products are heated to make them easier to process, and then beaten and shaped. The deformation of the products makes the process of producing useful things visible to the eye.
Many “commissioned products” were brought in around the craftsmen, which greatly stimulated the “imagination” of manufacturing repair, such as “Oh, that is damaged like this,” and “I wonder how they will fix it. And then, it is repaired right in front of my eyes. If the process is as I imagined, I am convinced, and if the repair is done in an unexpected way, I am socially educated to think, “Wow, this way of thinking and doing things is more rational.
Textbooks are probably meaningless for this kind of social education (laughs). It would also be difficult to evaluate test scores on what was taught. Craftspeople have their own unique styles and rationale, and their methods probably vary widely. However, the way of life and attitude of sincerely facing one’s objectives will be conveyed to those who see them. Children will see such an adult figure and pin up their hearts in various ways. In other words, it is an education that nurtures the heart.

【店舗POP広告「木工屋-2」 江戸期・房総町家の賑わい-3】



古民家でも商家となると現代の資本主義的なビジネス感覚と相似するカタチがみえてくる。写真は「木工屋」の店先・隅柱に掛けられた「下駄」のPOPと先日紹介の「めしや」の看板。昨日「樽つくり」の様子も見たけれど、木を使って造作することは生活に密着した手工業だった。化学素材が出現するより前の時代には、木のような自然素材が生活領域すべてをほぼ覆っていた。化学素材でのものづくりでは必然的に工業化された集中生産が進展し、一般社会からの「疎外」が当たり前になる。現代生活での日常必需品では手づくりというのはむしろ少数派で、大部分はどこで誰がつくっているか想像力が及ばないのが普通。言われてみてはじめてそれが他国でつくられていることを知るのが一般的。
一方で木のような自然素材の日用品が主体の江戸期までの社会では、それこそ製造業が「家内制」であって、需要地域に深く根ざして存在していた。江戸期までは履物といえば下駄が主流であっただろうから、このようなPOPが木工の主用途を表現したのだろう。「なんでも木で作るモノならつくりますよ」というメッセージが伝わってくる。
わたしは昭和中期に生まれた年代だけれど、都市居住ではこのような「◎◎屋」という存在が日常語として頻繁に使われていた。それが街のランドマークでもあり、向こう三軒両隣のような範囲でふつうの空気感として存在していた。八百屋・魚屋など生業が明確な存在が街の表情を形成していた。それがスーパーというような流通形態が主流になって企業規模が拡大していって「近代化」が進んだ。こういったありようにはノスタルジーが感じられ、独特の人間くささも薫っている。
こういったPOPの表現にはわかりやすさと同時にその作り手の個性、人間性も伝わる部分があるのではないか。まるで擬人化・マンガ文化力のようなものも感じさせられる。店に入るときに、その人となりの幾分か、応答内容が予測されるものがあると思える。


街並み再現構成のカタチとしてイマドキの子どもたちにもわかりやすいように、店頭には木割りの模型とか、樽の実物展示などがされている。木造住宅でも現代では構造が隠される「大壁」的な仕上げが多いので、柱梁が直接露出している方が少数派。現代住宅で育った子どもたちにはこういった部分から「構造を知らせる」きっかけを働きかける必要もあるでしょうね。またそもそも「樽」などという実物を見る機会もほとんどないだろう。化学素材製ではないモノの個性の豊かさというものに大いに驚いて欲しいと思う。化学素材製品のさらなる発展のためにも、その創造の原点としての自然素材の「肌ざわり・質感」というものがバネとして働くと思う。現代の子どもたちの新鮮な感受性を刺激するには、こういう機会を大人たちがもっと意識的に作って行くことが大切ではないか。

English version⬇

Store POP advertisement “Woodwork shop-2” Bustling townhouse in Bossou, Edo period – 3
Humorous POP with a strong message. The cradle of Japanese sensibility, which is connected to manga culture. Appealing to children’s hearts and minds. The “Bosho Machiya-2” and “Bosho Machiya-3” are the most popular.

Even in old private houses, when it comes to merchant houses, one can see forms that resemble the capitalistic business sense of today. The photo shows “geta” POP hanging on the corner post of a woodworking shop and the signboard of “meshiya” introduced the other day. I also saw a scene of “barrel making” yesterday, and the use of wood in manufacturing was a handicraft closely related to daily life. Before the advent of chemical materials, natural materials such as wood covered almost all areas of daily life. Manufacturing with chemical materials inevitably assumes industrialized, intensive production, and “alienation” from general society becomes the norm. In modern life, handmade products for daily necessities are in the minority, and it is common for people to have no idea where most of them are made. It is only when they are told that they are made in other countries that they realize that they are made in other countries.
On the other hand, until the Edo period, when daily necessities were mainly made of natural materials such as wood, the manufacturing industry was a “cottage industry” that was rooted in the area of demand. Until the Edo period, geta (wooden clogs) would have been the most common type of footwear, so this type of POP would have represented the main use of woodworking. It conveys the message, “We can make anything out of wood.
I was born in the mid-Showa period (1926-1989), and in urban areas, this kind of “◎◎ shop” was frequently used as an everyday word. It was a landmark of the town, and existed as a common atmosphere in the neighborhoods across the street from each other. Grocers, fishmongers, and other businesses with clear lines of business formed the face of the town. Then, supermarkets and other forms of distribution became the mainstream, and the scale of business expanded, which probably contributed to the “modernization” of the town. This way of being is nostalgic, but it also has a unique humanistic flavor.
This kind of POP expression is not only easy to understand, but also conveys the individuality and humanity of the owner. It is like the power of anthropomorphism and manga culture. When you enter a store, some of the responses of the owner’s personality can be predicted.

In order to make it easy for children of today’s generation to understand the form of the townscape reproduction composition, models of wood splits and actual barrels are displayed in the storefront. In modern wooden houses, many of them are finished with large walls, so exposed pillars and beams are more common in the minority. It is probably necessary to encourage children who have grown up in modern houses to learn about the structure from these types of structures. In the first place, there are probably few opportunities to see actual “barrels. I would like them to be surprised at the richness of individuality of products that are not made of chemical materials. For the further development of products made of chemical materials, the “feel and texture” of natural materials as the starting point of their creation will act as a springboard. In order to further stimulate the fresh sensibilities of today’s children, it is important for adults to consciously create such opportunities.

【見える製造業「木工屋-1」 江戸期・房総町家の賑わい-2】



江戸期の千葉県、房総での商家の街並み「見える化」野外博物館探訪。
現代と江戸期のいちばん大きな違いは、現代では日本の基本的な「ものづくり」の実相を日常生活的にこどもたちが体感する機会が失せていること。江戸期までの社会ではどんなものづくりも基本的にその労働ぶりが公開される機会が多く提供されていた。こどもたちは現実の街中で具体的な職人仕事を見聞できていたので「ひとの仕事」についての豊かな想像力が刺激されていた。
写真は木工についての専門職の仕事ぶりが町場ですべて公開されていた様子の再現。「樽づくり」が行われていたけれど、樽の素材の木材の加工からそれを竹のリングで「締め上げていく」工程が衆人の見守る中で行われていた。具体的な手順がわかると同時に、真剣なものづくりへの「姿勢」も子どもたちは教えられることになっていた。一心不乱に作業に取り組む様子がこどもたちに仕事への「誇り」のようなものを感受させ植え付けていったことは想像に難くない。
そういうことが基盤となって、明治以降の急速な近代工業化社会の実現に大きく与っていたのではないか。ごく自然な「国民教育」の基盤を形成していたのではないかと考えられる。上の写真で言うと、部材の形状、その管理ぶり、そしてそれが手際よく組み上げられていく手順の合理性、段取り仕事の大切さなど教えられることは大きかったに違いない。職人にとっても自分の作業工程を包み隠さずに公開しているということは、正直に生きるということにも繋がっていたに相違ない。

個人的に面白く感じていたのは、長時間の労働であり「座って」の作業であるのに竹の輪での樽の締め上げ工程でも職人さんの「力の入れ方」がムリもムダもなく見えていたこと。で、職人さんが席を外したときにその座っている椅子を撮影してみた。そうしたら案の定、微妙に前傾姿勢を継続できるような角度が付けられていて、対面する樽に対して力の入れ具合にきわめて合理的なのだということに気付かされた。おそらくこの職人さんの体格的特徴に合わせて、微細な「工夫」が積層しているに違いなく、いわば段取りについての知恵を見る者にわかりやすく伝えてくれていた。

こういった「社会教育」が各職人仕事として「商家」という場で多くの人びとに公開され共有してきたことが、職人仕事への日本社会の強いリスペクトを生み出していたのだと感じさせられる。この房総のむらの現代でも参観に訪れていた多くの子どもたちが興味深そうにその仕事ぶりを見続けていた。
ひるがえって、今日の日本社会ではどうだろうか。どうもひとの手業での知恵と工夫の伝達が疎かになって、表面的な「点数稼ぎ」的な価値感が優勢になってしまってはいないだろうか。それは社会の活力にとってどうなのだろうかと、ふと疑問を感じさせられた。

English version⬇

Visible Manufacturing Industry “Woodworker-1” Bustling Bossou Townhouse, Edo Period – 2
Craftsmen’s work was open to the public in the town. It stimulated their own “devotion” and functioned as social education for the viewer. …

Visible” open-air museum visit to the streets of merchant houses in Boso, Chiba Prefecture, during the Edo period.
The biggest difference between today and the Edo period is that today, children no longer have the opportunity to experience the reality of basic Japanese “monozukuri” in their daily lives. Until the Edo period, any kind of craftsmanship basically provided many opportunities for the public to see how the work was done. Children were able to see and hear the work of craftsmen in the real world, which stimulated their rich imagination about “people’s work.
The photo shows a reproduction of a woodworking workshop where all the work of woodworking professionals was on display in the town hall. The “barrel making” was being performed, and the process of processing the wood for the barrels and “tightening” them up with bamboo rings was being carried out under the watchful eyes of the people. The children were able to understand the specific procedures and at the same time, were taught a serious “attitude” toward manufacturing. It is not difficult to imagine that the children’s single-minded devotion to their work instilled in them a sense of “pride” in their work.
This may have been the foundation that contributed greatly to the rapid realization of a modern industrialized society after the Meiji era. It is thought that this may have formed the basis for a very natural “national education. In the photo above, there must have been a great deal to be taught about the shapes of materials, how to manage them, the rationality of the procedures for assembling them in an efficient manner, the importance of work arrangements, etc. For craftspeople, too, there must have been a great deal to be taught about the importance of wrapping up their work processes. For the craftsmen, the fact that they were able to disclose their work processes without concealment must have been linked to their honesty in life.

What I personally found interesting was that even in the process of tightening up the barrels with bamboo rings, despite the long hours of labor and “sitting down,” I could see the craftsman’s “exertion” without any unreasonableness or waste. When the craftsman left his seat, I took a picture of the chair he was sitting on. Sure enough, the chair was slightly angled so that the craftsman could continue to lean forward, and I noticed that the angle was extremely reasonable in terms of the amount of force applied to the barrels he was facing. The craftsman’s fine “ingenuity” must have been layered according to his physique, and he was conveying his wisdom about the arrangements to the viewer in a way that was easy to understand.

The fact that this kind of “social education” was shared with many people in “merchant houses” as the work of various craftsmen made us feel that Japanese society had a strong respect for artisanal work. Even here in the present day village of Boso, many children who had come to observe the work of these craftsmen continued to watch with great interest.
What about today’s Japanese society? Hasn’t the transmission of wisdom and ingenuity through people’s handiwork been neglected, and a superficial “point-scoring” sense of value has prevailed? It made me wonder how this would be good for the vitality of society.

【ファストフード全盛「めしや」 江戸期・房総町家の賑わい-1】


さてしばらく先史時代〜国家創成期の歴史ネタに没頭していましたが歴史から建築系にカムバック(笑)。基本スタンスの「古民家」系。仕事でも関東に広がりも出てきたこともあってその土地の「由縁」を知る意味合いからも関東各地域の住宅文化を探っていきたい。北海道でも「開拓の村」という100年前後と比較的新しい古民家の集合施設があります。過去の住宅からはそこに暮らしてきた先人の「息づかい」を体感することができる。現代住宅の祖型として学ぶべきポイントが大きいと言える。また全国で増えてきたこういう古民家文化展示について、それを体系的に整理整頓して現代的意味を構築するという動きも必要ではないかとも思っている。ということで今回は千葉県・房総の古民家探訪。「房総のむら」というすばらしい「民俗野外展示」施設があって探訪。そこでの古民家住宅体験より。

こちらには「商家」ゾーンが造作されていて江戸期の都市の庶民の生き様が活写される。
商家には、現代の基本条件とも思える「都市生活」ライフスタイルが凝縮されている。江戸の町人文化と地方らしい暮らし方の地域文化の両方の側面が房総にはあるでしょう。きょう見るのは江戸期の町人文化で芽生えた「ファストフード」文化。江戸は最盛期100万人を超える人口だったとされているけれど、そこには全国の農村からの人口移動があって、農家の次男三男層が都市に移住していった。

そういった人びとの食の用を満たす意味から、かけそばとか、めしやという業態が出現した。上の写真では「立ち食い」というスタイルの食事場所が提供されている。現代でこういったスタイルは都市圏生活に普遍的だけれど、やはり江戸期がその生成期だったに違いない。いわゆる「お行儀」というようなそれまでの行動規範とは違う食スタイルだったことでしょう。田舎から都市に出てきた人たちはこういう食事スタイルを見て、相当驚いたと想像できる。

立ち食いスタイルの横には「小上がり」スペースが用意され、客層の多様性に応答した客席構成。さらにこのめしやでは2階があってより落ち着いた接客ゾーンも用意されていた。正面の木格子はガラスショーケース的に通りに対してアピールすると同時に店内からその往来の賑わいを借景させてくれる。都市生活の「活気」を感じさせる。


さらに日本のPOP広告・ディスプレイのスタイルの側面からも興味深い。めしや、といういかにも「食べたいなぁ」と人に印象を与えるキャッチについて、文字の表現の仕方とか、それを訴求するカタチについて店主層は工夫を凝らしたに違いない。都市という激しい競争社会のなかで日本社会での優勝劣敗のガラガラポンが日常的に繰り返されて、このような表現が優勢になっていったのだろう。日本人が好み、惹かれるデザインという淘汰が起こっていった。

English version⬇

[Fast food flourishing “Meshiya”, the bustling townhouse of Bossou in the Edo period -1
New lifestyles created by cities that welcomed surplus population from all over Japan. The first form of modern fast food is seen in the culture of merchant houses in the Edo period. …

Well, I have been immersed in historical topics from prehistory to the founding of the nation for a while, but I am now making a comeback from history to architecture (laugh). My basic stance is to focus on “old private houses. As my work has expanded to the Kanto region, I would like to explore the housing culture of each region of Kanto from the perspective of learning about the local “history” of the area. In Hokkaido, there is a relatively new collection of old private homes, called “Kaitakunomura,” which are around 100 years old. From the houses of the past, we can experience the “breath” of our ancestors who lived there. It can be said that there are significant points to be learned from them as the ancestors of modern houses. I also believe that there is a need for a movement to systematically organize and organize these old private house cultural exhibitions that are increasing in number throughout Japan, and to construct a modern meaning for them. This time, I visited an old private house in Boso, Chiba Prefecture. I visited Boso no Mura, a wonderful “folk outdoor exhibition” facility. Here is an excerpt from my experience of an old minka house there.

The “merchant house” zone was created to show the way of life of common people in the city during the Edo period.
The merchant house is a condensed version of the “urban lifestyle,” which seems to be a basic requirement for the modern age. Boso will have aspects of both the Edo period townspeople’s culture and the local culture of the provincial way of life. What we see today is the “fast food” culture that sprouted in the Edo period merchant culture. At its peak, Edo had a population of over 1 million people, and this was due to the migration of people from rural areas across the country, with the second and third sons of farmers migrating to the cities.

The kakesoba (buckwheat noodle) and meshiya (rice restaurant) businesses emerged to meet the dietary needs of these people. In the photo above, a “tachi-yoku” style eating place is being offered. This style of eating is universal in urban life today, but the Edo period must have been the period of its birth. It must have been a different style of eating from the conventional code of behavior known as “manners. One can imagine that people who came to the city from the countryside were quite surprised to see this style of eating.

A “small dining space” is provided next to the standing style, and the seating configuration responds to the diversity of the clientele. In addition, this meshiya has a second floor that provides a more relaxed customer service zone. The wooden latticework on the front of the restaurant is like a glass showcase for the street, and at the same time, it provides a view of the bustling traffic from inside the restaurant. It gives a sense of the “liveliness” of urban life.

It is also interesting from the perspective of Japanese POP advertising and display styles. The store owners must have been creative in the way they expressed the word “meshiya,” a catch phrase that gives people the impression of wanting to eat, and in the form in which they presented it. In the fiercely competitive society of urban areas, the rattle-pong of victory and defeat in Japanese society was repeated on a daily basis, and this type of expression must have prevailed. A selection of designs that the Japanese people liked and were attracted to occurred.

【古墳「土木」から仏教「建築」へ大転換 (列島37,000年史 第60回)】



国立歴史民俗博物館での旧石器・縄文・弥生・古代までの展示大革新。
その興奮の余韻冷めやらず都合60回もブログを書き連ねてきた。通常の「住宅ブログ」テーマからはかなり飛躍かも知れませんが、住宅取材していると必然的に現代人の「生き方・暮らし方」という根源的テーマから目を背けるわけに行かない。いわば「こころのありよう」という領域では歴史が教えてくれる人びとの生き様にルーツを辿りたくなる。ということですが、途中何回か建築の根源的テーマにも触れてきた。本日は日本列島史のなかで画期になった仏教伝来と、寺院建築文化ということを探ってみたい。

上の写真は大阪四天王寺の南大門から、正面に仁王門・五重塔を見た外観と、五重塔裏手に静かに建っている「番匠堂」のなかに端座されている聖徳太子のお姿像。太子はなんと差し金・曲げ尺を手に持たれている。番匠というのは大工職という意味であり聖徳太子は日本の大工職にとっての最高の守護神とでもいえる存在なのだ。
そういう伝承をいまも大切に守って四天王寺創建に当たって半島から先進木工技術を伝えた日本最古の「工務店組織」金剛組が幟にその名を記している。それまで農業土木技術の進化形ということで古墳造営が最大の「宗教的象徴」であったものが、仏教という新宗教にすべて置換されて、四天王寺・飛鳥寺・法隆寺と国家プロジェクト仏教建築が世を覆っていく。


古墳の造営はいろいろに推理されるけれど、しかしある時期にまったく造営されなくなるということにむしろ強い必然性を感じる。仏教導入と同時に寺院建築という当時の社会に取ってみたら驚天動地の「建築的技術革新」が一気に舶来してきたということなのでしょう。もちろん藤原京などの王宮建築は先端的に出現したけれど、それ以上に宗教施設として衆生にも開放される建築空間、その文化に庶民は度肝を抜かれたに違いない。古墳には衆生救済というような側面はなくたぶん支配権力の象徴という側面が強い強制的「宗教」だったと思える。それに対して仏教は来世に向かって救済されるという福音的な香りを感じさせたに違いない。そして建築では見たこともない五重塔のような高層建築もあって日本人にわかりやすく現世救済思想を可視化してくれた。

曲げ尺を持った聖徳太子というのは、まことに象徴的。というのは最新の建築工学・技術が四天王寺などで全面開花して日本の建築技術は飛躍的な発展を見せたに違いないのだ。ときの最高為政者が自らこの最先端技術の先導者でもあったのだろう。現在で言えばIT産業の育成者・未来先導者が政治改革も引っ張っていた、みたいに思われる。
この四天王寺・法隆寺で実質が始まった日本の先端的木造建築技術は、今日、東アジア世界の中核を形成している。繰り返し独裁権力による排仏運動が起こった大陸国家では伝統的木造技術が文化破壊され、木造技術者たちは日本に支援を求め日本もそれに応えてきている。太子の産業育成の努力が今日に至る日本の技術基盤を形成したと言えるだろう。

長かったブログ連載「列島37,000年史」シリーズは今回で中締め。でもまだ書き残しもあるので、ゲリラ的にやるかも知れません。それまでしばし連載小休止。悪しからず。あ、ブログは年中無休で継続します、よろしく。

English version⬇

The Great Religious Transformation from Kofun “Civil Engineering” to Buddhist “Architecture” (The 37,000 Year History of the Archipelago, Vol. 60)
The construction of Shitennoji Temple and Horyuji Temple was a national project that allowed the people of Asuka and Hakuho to visualize the world of cutting-edge technology. …

The exhibition at the National Museum of Japanese History was a great innovation, covering Paleolithic, Jomon, Yayoi, and Ancient times.
I have conveniently written 60 blogs in the aftermath of that excitement. This may be quite a leap from the usual theme of a “housing blog,” but when you are covering housing, you inevitably cannot turn your eyes away from the fundamental theme of the “way of life and living” of modern people. In the area of “the state of mind,” as it were, we are tempted to trace our roots back to what history has taught us about people’s way of life. This means that I have touched on the fundamental theme of architecture several times along the way. Today, I would like to explore the introduction of Buddhism and temple architecture culture, which was a landmark period in the history of the Japanese archipelago.

The photo above shows the exterior of Shitennoji Temple, Osaka, from the Nandaimon gate looking toward the Nioimon gate and the five-story pagoda, and a statue of Prince Shotoku seated in the “Banshodo” quietly standing behind the five-story pagoda. The statue of Prince Shotoku is seated in the Banshakudo, which stands quietly behind the five-story pagoda. The word “bansho” means “carpenter,” and Prince Shotoku is the supreme guardian deity of carpentry in Japan.
The Kongo-gumi, Japan’s oldest “construction company” that introduced advanced woodworking techniques from the Peninsula to build Shitennoji Temple, still holds this tradition in high regard, and its name is written on a banner. The construction of ancient tombs, which until then had been the greatest “religious symbol” as an evolution of agricultural and civil engineering technology, was replaced by the new religion of Buddhism, and the world was covered with state projects of Buddhist architecture such as Shitennoji, Asuka, and Horyu-ji temples.

The construction of kofun tumuli has been theorized in various ways, but the fact that they ceased to be built at all at a certain point in time seems rather strong and inevitable. This may be due to the introduction of Buddhism and the simultaneous importation of temple architecture, an astonishing “architectural innovation” for the society of the time. Of course, the royal palace architecture of the Fujiwara-kyo Capital was at the forefront, but the common people must have been even more astonished by the architectural space and culture that was open to sentient beings as a religious facility. Kofun tombs did not have the aspect of salvation for sentient beings, but were probably a forced “religion” with a strong symbolic aspect of ruling power. Buddhism, on the other hand, must have had the evangelical flavor of salvation toward the next life. In terms of architecture, Buddhism, with its five-story pagodas and other skyscrapers that the Japanese had never seen before, made the idea of salvation in this life visible and easy for the Japanese people to understand.

Prince Shotoku with a bending scale is truly symbolic. The latest architectural engineering and technology must have flourished at the Shitennoji Temple and other such structures, and Japanese architectural technology must have made great strides forward. It is likely that the highest political leader of the time was himself a pioneer of this cutting-edge technology. In today’s terms, it would be as if the IT industry’s nurturers and future leaders were also leading the way in political reforms.
Japan’s cutting-edge wooden architectural technology, which began with the Shitennoji and Horyuji temples, today forms the core of the East Asian world. As traditional wooden construction techniques were repeatedly destroyed in continental countries by dictatorial movements to eliminate Buddhist monuments, woodworkers turned to Japan for assistance, and Japan responded. It can be said that Taishi’s efforts to foster the industry formed the technological foundation of Japan up to the present day.

【鳥居と結界 日本人の精神史 (列島37,000年史 第59回)】


さて本日は古代史の巨大なテーマである自然崇拝から宗教への流れについてであります。いちばん上の写真は奈良県・明日香の「飛鳥坐(あすかにいます)神社」参道の小さな岩にまるで鳥居のような結界マークが施されていて、いかにも始原的な姿を見せて興味深かったもの。この神社にはふつうの鳥居もあるのですが、道脇にひっそりと佇む様子は、意表を突かれる素朴さでこころ奪われる。たぶん始原期の鳥居って、こういう柱に対して結界をあらわす注連縄を回すようなシンプルなものだったのだろう。

日本の歴史では大和平野に成立した神武天皇の皇統が統一政権を樹立する。ヤマトタケルの逸話とか、出雲との「国譲り」などは統一国家成立の「きしみ」のようにも思える。政治的にはそのようなプロセスを辿っていったのは間違いがない。しかし一方で祭政の政ではないマツリの方については「古墳」という形式が箸墓古墳以来の「前方後円墳」が全国を席巻したあと、それが急速に終焉していって、仏教寺院にそれが取って代わられることになる。
きのう飛鳥大仏のことを書いたけれどそれが本尊とされた飛鳥寺以降、四天王寺・法隆寺という聖徳太子が建立に関わる本格的仏教寺院が日本人の精神史の主流を占めることになる。蘇我氏と物部氏の闘争はこういう背景を持って戦われ、蘇我氏の勝利によって一気に仏教寺院全盛の時代を迎えることになる。古墳はあれだけたくさん作られたのにまるで夢幻のように一気に放棄されていくのに、強い社会的整合性があったのだろうか。仏教の導入によって完全にその位置が置換されてしまった。そういう中にあって、神社はまったく独特に信仰心を集めていたといえる。

2番目の鳥居は三輪山をご神体とする大神(おおみわ)神社の拝殿に至る最後の鳥居なんですが、柱に注連縄が渡されているのみのシンプルなもの。三輪山自体に注連縄を回しているというようにも受け取れる。スケールはまったく違うけれど上の写真の飛鳥坐神社参道脇の鳥居とも通底する。

そして3番目は西宮の廣田神社の標柱とされる鳥居。ふつうの鳥居もこの鳥居を挟むようにあるのですが、なぜかこのシンプルな鳥居が印象的に建てられている。
そういえば夫婦岩などでも自然岩石に注連縄を回して結界としているので、神社信仰は本然としては列島に素朴に根付いた自然崇拝の昇華形態だったのではないか。

古墳とか仏教寺院に対して神社は日本的精神では次元を異にする存在なのでしょうね。こういうありようというのは東アジアでは日本以外にはあまりない形式。どうも神社は無色透明のような雰囲気でどんな宗教ともケンカしない文化を保持しているように思う。そういうのが日本人的な心の持ちようを表しているのか。皇室という現実の存在があることで神社はこういった無色性を得たものとも思える。宗教と言うよりそれ以前の精神性がある。こういう奇跡のような平明な精神性は大切に受け継いでいきたいと思う。

English version⬇

Torii and the Boundary: A Spiritual History of the Japanese People (The 37,000 Year History of the Archipelago, Vol. 59)
Kofun tumuli disappeared like a dream by Buddhist temples. They were replaced by Buddhist temples. Shrines based on nature worship did not fight with each other and remained unchanged. …

Today, I would like to talk about a huge theme in ancient history, the flow from nature worship to religion. The top photo shows a small rock on the approach to Asuka Shrine in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, with a boundary mark like a torii (a Shinto shrine gate), which is interesting because of its primitive appearance. This shrine also has an ordinary torii gate, but the way it stands quietly by the side of the road is surprisingly simple and captivating. The torii gate in the primitive period was probably a simple affair, with a shimenawa (a rope used to tie a boundary) tied to a pillar like this.

In Japanese history, Emperor Jinmu established a unified government in the Yamato Plain. The anecdotes of Yamatotakeru and the “handover of the land” to Izumo seem to be the “creak” of the establishment of a unified nation. There is no doubt that the political process followed such a path. On the other hand, as for the “mitsuri,” which is not a political process, the “kofun,” or ancient burial mound, has rapidly come to an end after the “front-rear round burial mounds” since the Chopstick Tomb Tumulus swept the nation, and was replaced by the Buddhist temples.
After Asukadera Temple, where the Great Buddha of Asuka was regarded as the principal image, Shitennoji Temple and Horyuji Temple, both of which were constructed by Prince Shotoku, came to dominate the spiritual history of the Japanese people. The struggle between the Soga and Mononobe clans was fought against this background, and with the victory of the Soga, the era of Buddhist temples came to an all-time high. I wonder if there was a strong social consistency in the fact that so many kofun tombs were created but then abandoned at once as if they were a mirage. Their position was completely replaced by the introduction of Buddhism. In such a situation, it can be said that shrines attracted devotion in a totally unique way.

The second torii is the last one leading to the hall of worship of the Omiwa Shrine, whose deity is Mt. Miwa, but it is a simple one with only a shimenawa (sacred rope) passed around the pillar. It could be taken as a sign that the shimenawa rope is being passed around the mountain itself. It could be taken as if a shimenawa rope is being passed around Mt. Miwa itself. Although on a completely different scale, this torii is similar to the one on the approach to Asukazaza Shrine in the photo above.

And the third is a torii gate that is said to be the marker of Hirota Shrine in Nishinomiya. There is also an ordinary torii gate flanking this one, but for some reason, this simple torii gate is built in an impressive manner.
Come to think of it, since a shimenawa (sacred rope) is used as a boundary around natural rock formations, such as the married couple rocks, shrine worship may have been a sublimated form of nature worship that took root in the archipelago in a simple and natural manner.

In contrast to ancient burial mounds and Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines are a different dimension of the Japanese psyche. This type of worship is not found anywhere else in East Asia except in Japan. Shrines seem to maintain a colorless and transparent atmosphere, a culture that does not fight with any religion. I wonder if this is an expression of the Japanese mindset. It seems to me that shrines have acquired this kind of colorlessness because of the actual existence of the imperial family. There is a spirituality before religion. This kind of miraculous, plaintive spirituality is something that I would like to pass on with great care.

【薄化粧も香しい飛鳥白鳳の仏像たち (列島37,000年史 第58回)】



仏像に興味を持ち始めるというのは高齢化の進展なのでしょうか(笑)。
歴史の古道を訪ね歩くようになると徐々にその魅力に引き込まれるのかなぁ。
写真の石像と銅造はそれぞれ奈良県桜井市・石位寺の「薬師三尊石仏」と、奈良県明日香の「飛鳥大仏」。どうもこの2体の仏像の表情に完全にトリコにされている。
2枚目の飛鳥大仏は日本最初の仏教寺院とされる飛鳥寺の本尊で、産経新聞にはこんな紹介。「飛鳥大仏は609年には完成し、鋳造年が絞れる仏像としては日本で最古級。面長の顔やアーモンドのような形をした目は大陸の影響が色濃く、江戸時代に飛鳥大仏と対面した国学者、本居宣長(もとおりのりなが)は「菅笠日記」に「げにいとふるめかしく、たふとく見ゆ」との一文を残している。」
わたしが歴史に興味を持ち始めた小学校の社会科の授業で、いちばん最初に覚えた美術家の名は「止利仏師」だった記憶が鮮明にある。はるかに時間を超えてその作家の実物と間近く接して、作り手やそのモデルとなった人物の表情の豊かさに完全にノックアウトされた。最古級であるのに国宝には指定されていない。それは幾度か火災にあって補修されてきていることが原因とか。しかしそれは同時に歴史的に多くの人びとの尊崇を集め続けてきたことをも如実に語っていると思う。・・・まぁ国宝であるかどうかそんなことはどうでもいいけれど。

一方、最近拝見した1枚目の写真の「薬師三尊石仏」。こちらは無住寺「石位寺」にあり、今は桜井市忍阪区の住民が交代で維持管理していてWEB申込みして拝観することができる。白鳳時代(644年〜710年)に製作された薬師三尊石仏でわが国最古の石仏として国の重要文化財指定。写真は拝観したときに購入させていただいたプリント写真。この石仏さんは天武天皇の妃であった額田王が願主として伝わっている。2020年初頭にはじめて「東京国立博物館」で展示公開されてスターダムに押し上げられた(笑)という。

わたしは最近その存在を知り石位寺で参観させていただいた。お寺に行くのに狭い道に迷ってしまった苦い記憶もある(泣)。しかしこのご尊顔を拝見して、一気にゾッコンにさせられてしまった。なんといっても「美しい」。石仏ということで正面写真と紹介文を読んでいただけの印象では「ふーん」と思っていたものが、現物をじっくり見て前後左右からその美顔を拝ませていただいて完全KO(笑)。
よくみると唇にはうすい紅までほどこされた残照があって、ふくよかな肌の優美さまでが伝わってくる。白村江に海外派遣された兵士たちを鼓舞する彼女の歌が万葉に残されている。「熟田津に船乗りせむと月待てば潮もかなひぬ今は漕ぎ出でな」。月明かりのなか朗々と歌い上げる美女の姿に、多くの兵士が奮い立ったとされる。その歴史美女の印象がこの石仏からリアリティを持って伝わってきた。

高齢化のせいで仏像趣味が・・・と思われたけれど、むしろ逆で石や金属という物質に乗り移った魂魄のようなものに気付けるようになった、そんな豊かさを深く感じさせられている。

English version⬇

Asuka Hakuho’s Buddhist Statues with Light Lipstick and Fragrance (The 37,000 Year History of the Archipelago, Vol. 58)
The ancient beauty who sang “I want to go sailing to Mukidazu,” is a reality with a faint lipstick. A girl who transcends time. A girl who transcends time.

I wonder if it is the aging of the population that begins to take an interest in Buddhist statues (laughs).
I wonder if I am gradually drawn to their charms as I begin to visit and walk along the ancient paths of history.
The stone and bronze statues in the photo are “Yakushi Sanzon Ishibutsu” at Ishiiji Temple in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, and “Asuka Daibutsu” in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, respectively. Apparently, I am completely tricked by the expressions of these two Buddhist statues.
The second one, Asuka Daibutsu, is the principal image of Asukadera Temple, which is considered to be the first Buddhist temple in Japan. Asuka Daibutsu was completed in 609 and is one of the oldest Buddhist statues in Japan for which the year of casting can be narrowed down. The long face and almond-shaped eyes are strongly influenced by the continent, and the national scholar Motoori Norinaga, who met the Great Asuka Buddha in the Edo period, wrote in his “Sugakasa Nikki” (Diary of Sugakasa), “It is a very beautiful and beautiful statue.
I have a vivid memory that the name of the first artist I memorized in my elementary school social studies class, when I first became interested in history, was the “Buddhist priest Toryo” (止利仏師). Having come into close contact with the artist’s actual works of art far beyond time, I was completely knocked out by the richness of the expressions on the faces of the creators and their models. Although it is one of the oldest, it is not designated as a national treasure. This is due to the fact that it has been repaired after several fires. However, I think it also shows that it has been historically revered and respected by many people. Well, I don’t care whether it is a national treasure or not.

On the other hand, I recently saw the “Yakushi Sanzon Ishibutsu” in the first photo. This one is located in “Ishiiji,” a non-resident temple, and is now maintained by the residents of Oshizaka-ku, Sakurai City, who take turns maintaining it, and you can apply on the web to view it. It is the oldest stone statue of Yakushi Sanzon (three images of Buddha) in Japan, and is designated as a national important cultural property. The photo is a print that I purchased when I visited the temple. The stone Buddha is said to have been the wish-fulfilling deity of King Nukata, the Empress of Emperor Temmu, and was elevated to stardom when it was exhibited for the first time at the Tokyo National Museum in early 2020 (laugh).

I recently learned of its existence and was able to visit it at Ishiiji Temple. I have a bitter memory of getting lost on a narrow road to the temple (tears). However, when I saw his face, I was instantly attracted to him. After all, it is beautiful. I had only read the introduction and seen the front photo of the stone Buddha and thought, “Hmmm,” but after seeing the actual statue and admiring its beautiful face from the front, back, left and right, I was completely smitten (laugh).
Upon closer inspection, one can see that her lips are covered with a light crimson color, and even the gracefulness of her plump skin can be felt. Her poem, which was written to inspire the soldiers who were dispatched overseas to the Hakumura River, is preserved in Manyo. The poem is a poem written in Manyo to inspire the soldiers who were sent overseas to the Hakumura River: “Wait for the moon to come and sail to Kyu-ta-tsu, the tide is coming in. It is said that many soldiers were inspired by the sight of this beautiful woman singing in the moonlight. This stone Buddha conveys the impression of this historical beauty with reality.

Although it was thought that the aging of the population had made people less interested in Buddhist statues, I was deeply impressed by the richness of the spirit of the Buddha, which has been transferred to the material of stone and metal.

【天照大神、纏向遺跡「日読み」痕跡 (列島37,000年史 第57回)】




列島37,000年史は国立歴史民俗博物館展示からの刺激で開始しましたが、昨日までの「神武東征」譚で古代史の大きな流れという側面はほぼ終了。そこから考古的な発掘が進んできている纏向遺跡の段階に至って確実な資料的裏付けのある世界に至ってくる。天皇で言うと第10代の崇神天皇がその存在確実性が高いとされてくるのですね。
崇神天皇の御代というのは、250年代頃という推定が強くなっている。遺跡が所在する桜井市ではこうした考古発掘・研究に力を入れて「纏向学」という古代史研究の公的センターまで作っている。
で、崇神帝の御代では大きな祭祀の革新が行われたといわれる。それまでの大王権力の「祭政」についてそれを分離する志向性が高まったとされるのですね。神武以来、軍事・政治の中心権力が同時に祭祀についても執り行うという体制から、国民の半数が疫病に倒れたという事態を受けて、祭祀を仕分けしようと考えたといわれている。その間の経緯として三輪山の大神神社の祭神からのご託宣として専用の祭祀者を定めよ、されば疫病は退散するであろう、というものだったとされる。そして現在の堺周辺にいた「大田田根子」という出雲出自系列の人物を大神神社神主として任命せよという天意を受けた。
〜崇神天皇の時、疫病の流行で人民が多く死に、崇神天皇の夢枕に大物主大神が現れ「意富多々泥古(おおたたねこ)という人に自分を祭らせれば、祟りも収まり、国も平安になるであろう」と神託を述べた。天皇はその人物を捜し出し、意富多々泥古命(大田田根子)に三輪山の神を祭らせ、伊迦賀色許男命(いかがしこをのみこと)に天(あめ)の八十(やそ)びらかを作らせて、天神地祇(あまつかみくにつかみ)を定め祭らせた。」と記紀にあるという。この「政策」はうまくいって疫病は収まったし、その後さらにアマテラスの遷座場所として、伊勢に祭祀の中心も移動していったとされているのです。

この遷座について、「太陽の道」という太陽神信仰が根っこにあるとも言われる。北緯34度32分の軸線に添ってヤマト王権の祭祀が移動したとする説。纏向遺跡の神殿から三輪山の方向は同軸線上にあり、さらにその延長線上に伊勢の斎宮跡が存在するとされているのですね。
写真は纏向遺跡のすぐ近く、ほんの2-300mほどのほぼ同一地点にある「他田坐天照御魂神社」という社。奇怪な形を見せる樹木や石に刻み込まれた「天照」の文字。とくに鳥居もなく、周囲は樹木に覆われている。
〜境内地は弥生時代からの纏向遺跡中枢部で大和王権の発祥地。太陽祭祀遺跡が集中する北緯34度32分の太陽の道の中心地でもあり鎮座地の太田から見ると立春・立冬には太陽が三輪山から昇り、春分・秋分には巻向山から昇る、日読みの地。神社西側の石塚古墳からは太陽祭祀に用いられたと考えられる朱塗の鳥形板や 弧文円板も発掘されている。弧紋円板や鳥形板を高棒に飾り付けて日読みの祭祀を行っていた。鶏は太古から暁に時を告げる鳥として神聖視され、弧紋円板を通して映し出される太陽の影は神秘的。〜
<歴史探究ブログ エナガ先生の講義メモより抜粋>
この年代前後の大和平野の遺跡について、解明が大いに進むことを期待したいと思う。

English version⬇

[Amaterasu, “Nichiyomi” Traces at the Mukomukai Site (The 37,000 Year History of the Archipelago, Vol. 57)
From the traces of the Jimmu expedition to the traces of rituals around 250 at Mimamukai. The excavation of historical facts is proceeding almost as an archaeological excavation. …

The 37,000 Year History of the Archipelago began with the stimulus from the National Museum of Japanese History exhibit, but the “Jimmu Tojo” tale up to yesterday almost ended the aspect of the major flow of ancient history. From there, we come to the stage of the Sumimukai ruins, where archaeological excavations have been progressing, and we come to the world with solid material support. In terms of emperors, the 10th Emperor Sojin is considered to have a high degree of certainty of existence.
It is strongly estimated that Emperor Sojin’s reign was around the 250s. Sakurai City, where the ruins are located, has put much effort into archaeological excavation and research, and has even established an official center for ancient history research called “Sumi Mukai Gaku.
In the reign of Emperor Sojin, a major change in rituals is said to have taken place. So it is said that there was an increased orientation toward separating the “ritual administration” of the great kings’ power from that of the king up to that time. It is said that the idea was to sort out the rituals from the system in which the central military and political power had been simultaneously performing the rituals since the time of the Jinmu, in response to the situation in which half of the nation had fallen ill with a plague. The oracle from the god of the Ogami Shrine on Miwasan was to appoint a special person to perform rituals, and the plague would be dispelled. The god also ordered that a man from the Izumo-Deji lineage named Ota Taneko, who lived in the area around present-day Sakai, be appointed as the chief priest of Ookami Shrine.
〜During the reign of Emperor Takamatsu, an epidemic killed many of the people, and Ohmononushi appeared to him in his dream and said, “If you let a man named Otataneko worship you, the curse will stop and the country will be at peace. The emperor sought out this person and had Otataneko worship the deity of Mt. Miwa, and had Ikagashikono-no-mikoto create the eighty pillars of heaven and establish and worship the heavenly gods, the Ama-no-Mikuni. The Chronicles of Japan says, “He made them build the eighty heavenly shrines and established and worshiped the heavenly gods. This “policy” was successful and the plague was stopped, and it is said that the center of rituals was also moved to Ise as the site of Amaterasu’s relocation.

Regarding this relocation, it is said that the belief in the sun god, “the way of the sun,” has its roots in this relocation. This theory states that the rituals of the Yamato kingdom moved along the axis line of 34°32′ north latitude. So the direction of Mt. Miwa from the temple at the Mimamukai site is on the same axis line, and furthermore, the Saiku site at Ise is said to exist on the extended line.
The photo shows a shrine called “Amateru Amateru Shrine” located at the same point, just 2-300 meters away from the Momamukai Ruins. The word “Amateru” is carved into the oddly shaped trees and stones. There is no particular torii gate, and the surrounding area is covered with trees.
〜The shrine is located at the center of the Mimamukai site from the Yayoi period, the birthplace of the Yamato kingdom. It is also the center of the Path of the Sun at 34°32′ north latitude, where the remains of sun rituals are concentrated, and from Ota, where the shrine is located, the sun rises from Mt. A vermilion-lacquered bird-shaped tablet and an arc-marked circular tablet, which are thought to have been used in sun rituals, have also been excavated from the Ishizuka burial mound on the west side of the shrine. The arc-crested disk and bird-shaped board were decorated on a high pole to perform the sun-reading ritual. The chicken has been considered sacred since ancient times as a bird that tells the time at dawn, and the shadow of the sun reflected through the arc-shaped disk is mysterious. ~ (Japanese only)
<(Excerpt from Dr. Enaga’s lecture notes on the History Inquiry blog)
I hope that the remains of the Yamato Plain around this period will be greatly elucidated.

【ヤタガラスは「高鴨族」の逆・擬人化? (列島37,000年史 第56回)】



神話と建国経緯事実とが混在する日本書紀・古事記の記紀の世界。
この個人的な歴史探訪「列島37,000年史」でその時代に差し掛かるのが、年末年始という特別な時期なのは天佑かもしれない。今回は少し妄想を膨らむ内容となっているが、「初夢」ということでご容赦いただきたい。

神話から「日本史」という歴史の世界へ移行したのは、おおむね10代崇神天皇以降とされる。かれが遷都したとされる纏向遺跡(まきむくいせき)が発掘されたことでほぼ確定されつつある。(纏向遺跡については第45回目の「卑弥呼=日の巫女「アマテラス」論 日本列島37,000年史-45」にて。
しかしそれ以前の古代の大和平野の痕跡も、現地を歩くと紡ぎ出されてくる。
いわゆる「神武東征」としてまとめられている大和平野地域の制圧は人物特定は別にしても事実痕跡に満ちている。飛鳥や藤原京、纏向のある桜井市などのゾーンは世界遺産としての登録申請作業が進む。ナゾはナゾとして時間をかけて解明していくというのがあるべきスタンスだろうと思う。
そんなことから北海道人ながら時間を見ては時折訪ね歩いている。

今回注目したいのは神武東征で登場する「ヤタガラス」。行軍の道案内をしたという伝説の存在。
後の神武天皇である磐余彦尊が難波の津に上陸し敗退し、その後熊野水軍先導とおぼしき海路行軍で熊野に上陸。そこから長躯、大和平野を目指す。この山岳路を「道案内」したのがヤタガラス。
このヤタガラス、存在するととすれば当然、逆擬人化されていると思われる。その対象として考えられているのが「高鴨族」。
~鴨族はある種の霊的集団であったと言われますが、その背景には葛城の山で培った高い技術力がありました。平地ではなく山を支配した一族ですから天体観測や薬学の知識が深く、製鉄技術、農耕技術、交通手段である馬術にも長けていました。~「始まりの地、葛城と鴨族」より引用
その後全国に展開していく「賀茂」社の起源になる神社が大和平野を囲む山地の南西側にある。相当の高地にあるけれど、湧き水の湖水がたたえられその水面に浮かぶように鳥居が建っていた。その美しさに強く導かれてその後数回訪問している。鴨一族というのは弥生時代からの「歴史」を持っていると伝承が書かれている。

神社境内敷地は多数の鉱山物質が埋蔵されていることで「気」が発散しているとされた。上の写真の一部に不思議な「光のスジ」が写っているけれど、社伝がなんとなく納得できる雰囲気。

記紀の記述にあるヤタガラスとこの鴨一族の関連性を指摘する論がある。
神武東征軍は熊野から山中を北上して吉野に至り、そこから宇陀・八ツ房杉方面に移動しさらに山間の「進軍路」と伝承される道をたどって大和平野部に進出したとされる。このような山間部の道を古代にたどるとすれば、先導者が不可欠だっただろうことは明らか。
それが鴨一族で擬化を経てヤタガラスという存在に昇華したのではないか。
初夢として東征進路の分析と伝承からこんな推論、妄想を抱いている。さて。

English version⬇

Is the Yatagarasu a Reverse or Anthropomorphic Form of the “High Duck Tribe”? (The 37,000-Year History of the Archipelago, Vol. 56)
The founding myths have a reverse/anthropomorphic storytelling with symbolism. The riddle of Yatagarasu, a guide who dared to conduct a campaign to conquer Yamato by breaking through the mountains. …

The world of the Chronicles of Japan, the Chronicles of the Chronicles of Japan and the Kojiki, where myths and facts of the founding of the nation are mixed together.
It may be a blessing in disguise that this personal historical exploration of the “37,000-year history of the Japanese archipelago” comes at a special time of year, the year-end and New Year holidays. The contents of this article are a bit delusional, but I hope you will forgive me for calling it my “first dream.

The transition from mythology to the historical world of “Japanese history” is generally considered to have occurred after the 10th Emperor Sojin. This is now being confirmed by the excavation of the Makimukai Site, where the capital was said to have been relocated. (For more information on the Makimuki-Seki site, please refer to the article “Himiko = Amaterasu, the Miko of the Sun” in “The 37,000-Year History of the Japanese Archipelago: 45.
However, traces of the ancient Yamato Plain before that time are also being spun out as we walk around the site.
The conquest of the Yamato Plain area, summarized as the so-called “Jinmu expedition,” is full of traces of facts, even if we do not specify the personages. Asuka, Fujiwara-kyo, and the city of Sakurai, where Mimamukai is located, are in the process of applying for registration as World Heritage sites. I think the proper stance is to take the time to clarify riddles as riddles.
For this reason, even though I am from Hokkaido, I occasionally visit the area when I have time.

This time, I would like to focus on “Yatagarasu,” a legendary bird that appeared in the Shinmu expedition. Legend has it that the Yatagarasu guided the marching army.
After the defeat of the later Emperor Jinmu, who landed at Naniwa-no-tsu, he landed at Kumano in a march by sea, apparently led by the Kumano Suigun (navy). From there, they headed for Nagasada and the Yamato Plain. Yatagarasu “guided” them along this mountainous route.
This yatagarasu, if it exists, is naturally thought to be a reverse anthropomorph. The “high duck tribe” is thought to be the target.
~It is said that the ~amo tribe was a kind of spiritual group, and their background was the high technology they had developed in the mountains of Katsuragi. Because they ruled over the mountains rather than the plains, they had a deep knowledge of astronomical observation and pharmacology, and were also skilled in iron manufacturing, agriculture, and horsemanship as a means of transportation. ~Quoted from “Katsuragi, the Place of Beginnings, and the Kamo Tribe
The shrine that became the origin of the “Kamo” shrine, which later developed throughout the country, is located on the southwest side of the mountain range surrounding the Yamato Plain. It is located at a considerable elevation, but it is filled with spring water and the torii gate stands as if it were floating on the surface of the water. The beauty of the shrine led me to visit it several times. The Kamo clan has a “history” dating back to the Yayoi period, according to the legend.

It was said that the shrine grounds emanated “chi” due to the large number of mining materials buried in the ground. The atmosphere is somewhat convincing of the shrine’s legend, though some of the photos above show mysterious “light threads”.

There is an argument that points out the connection between the Yatagarasu and this Kamo clan in the description of Kiki.
It is said that the Kamu expeditionary force moved northward from Kumano through the mountains to Yoshino, and from there to Uda and Yatsubosugi, and then to the Yamato plain by following what is said to be a “marching road” through the mountains. It is clear that a leader would have been indispensable if they were to follow such a mountainous route in ancient times.
This may have been the Yatagarasu, which was sublimated into existence through mimicry in the Kamo clan.
This is my first dream, and based on the analysis and tradition of the eastern expedition path, I have this kind of inference and delusion. Now.