さて拙ブログ記事でも長期連載シリーズが一段落ですが、雑誌出版制作でも昨日、フラッグシップの「Replan北海道」の次号の原稿入稿ということでひと区切り。年末に向けてたくさんの案件は同時進行していますが、本日は久しぶりに手づくり寿司食堂開店（笑）。
感染症の対応以降、わが社ではテレワークとオフィスワークとの割合がほぼ50%ほどで推移してきています。社内での仕事進行打合せZoom会議などでほどよいレベルで生産性を発揮してきています。弊社の場合は、情報生産、製造業の側面があるので、それに関わるメンバー間の意思疎通が非常に重要。とくに顧客先と各部署メンバーとのZoom会議には非常にコミュニケーションパワーがある。多品種の職能がワンテーマで一気に集って衆知を集めるのは高い生産性につながる。
また一方で情報産業の場合、各スタッフの静止的作業、具体的には企画や構想といった思考作業、それを表現していく作業には、自宅での静謐なテレワークというのは整合性もあるのですね。
そういう状況ではありますが、しかしスタッフ間のハイタッチな理解・融合も欠かせない。
そんなことで、ときどき開催要望のある「社長食堂」の出番であります。今回は久しぶりの本格開催。スタッフは本日の昼時にはテレワーク組も含めて参集の予定。
で、しばらくぶりなので食材は仕込んでいた海産、お魚類を使っての握り寿司食堂。
本日、たぶん300カン以上握ることになると思いますが、昨日夕方、ネタについては写真のように捌いておりました。
新鮮なサケ、ブリの小型版・イナダ、カツオ、ツブ貝、ホタテ、シメサバ、カレイ、イカ、タコ、さらにはウナギ蒲焼きも飛び入り参加、など多様なお魚・貝類たちと下処理格闘数時間。たくさんなのでこれ全部で寿司何貫分なのか、まったく不明（笑）。でもまぁ人数分は大丈夫でしょう。
このブログ執筆は早朝起き抜けの作業としてルーティン化させていますが、アップさせた後、いよいよ、握り作業に没入したいと思います。
なんですが、ホントのことを言うと、握り寿司はそのネタ段取りの方が最重要ポイントでネタをどう選択してどう捌くかということの方がはるかに作業量が多い。

そういうことですがわたしの場合、包丁仕事では右手人差し指の掌側に「タコ」が発生する。どうしてもこの部位に荷重がかかるのでしょう。「こんなところにタコができるようじゃ（笑）」とプロのみなさんからはきっとバカにされるのでしょうが、わたしとしてはこのタコに愛着も感じる。
さてもうひとふんばり、この右手でお米1,5升分くらいひたすら握り、頑張ります。やるぞ！

English version⬇

The publication work has been completed.
Fresh salmon, inada, bonito, tsubu, scallops, shime saba, flounder, squid, octopus, and even broiled eel joined the party. Now, let’s get to work! The restaurant will be open for dinner.

As I have already finished the long-running series of articles on my blog, the work on the next issue of the flagship magazine “Replan Hokkaido” also came to a close yesterday with the final color page of the first edition. Many projects are in progress simultaneously toward the end of the year, but today, for the first time in a long time, we opened a sushi diner (laughs).
Since the response to the infectious disease, the ratio of telework and office work at our company has remained at about 50%. In-house meetings to discuss work progress have been highly productive with Zoom and other tools. In the case of our company, we are in the information production and manufacturing industry, so communication among the members involved is extremely important. In particular, Zoom meetings between client companies and members of each department are very powerful for communication.
On the other hand, in the case of the information industry, teleworking is also consistent with the static work of each staff member, specifically, thinking work such as planning and conceptualization, and the expression of such work.
In such a situation, however, high-touch understanding and integration among staff members is also essential.
This is where the “President’s Cafeteria,” which is sometimes requested to be held, comes in. This time, for the first time in a while, it will be held in earnest. The staff is scheduled to gather at noon today, including the teleworkers.
And since it has been a while since the last time, we will be serving nigirizushi using ingredients from the sea and fish that we had prepared.
We will probably make more than 300 pieces of sushi today, and yesterday evening, we processed the ingredients as shown in the photo.
We spent several hours preparing a variety of fish and shellfish, including fresh salmon, small yellowtail and inada, bonito, whelk, scallops, shime saba, flounder, squid, octopus, and even broiled eel. I don’t know how many pieces of sushi this was in total, but it was a lot!
I’ve made writing this blog a routine early-morning wake-up task, and after uploading it, I’d like to finally immerse myself in the nigiri process.
I have to tell you the truth, however, the most important point of nigirizushi is the arrangement of the sushi, and how to select and handle the ingredients is much more work than how to make the sushi.

That is why knife work causes “calluses” on the palm side of my right index finger in my case. This is probably due to the load that is inevitably applied to this part of the hand. I am sure that professionals would make fun of me for having a callus on this part of my right hand, but for me, I feel attached to this callus.
Now, I’m going to work hard for about 1.5 sho of rice with this right hand. I’m going to do it!

Posted on 9月 1st, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: おとこの料理＆食 | No Comments »

息栖神社の境内には「本殿」「拝殿」というような建築はない。代わりに「社殿」が中心的な建築物として建てられている。いわゆる祭神の明示がない。由緒書きには以下の記述。
〜息栖神社が最初に置かれたのは現在の日川地区と伝えられており、大同2年(807)に現在地に遷されました。 岐神(くなどのかみ、路の神・井戸の神)、天鳥船神(交通守護の神)に加え、住吉三神(海上守護の神)が祀られています。 息栖神社は鹿島神宮の摂社という位置づけです。〜鹿島神宮の摂社ということで祭神の鎮座する「本殿」は存在しないということ。さらに、
〜御祭神の御神格からして神代時代に鹿島・香取の御祭神に従って東国に至り、鹿島・香取両神宮は其々台地に鎮座するものの、久那斗神（岐神）と天乃鳥船神は海辺の日川（現在の神栖市日川）に姿を留め、やがて応神天皇の御代に神社として祀られたと思われます。〜という記述。
〜かつて鹿島地方の丘陵地南端は今の鹿嶋市国末辺りまでで、やがて沖洲が陸続きとなり幾つかの集落が出来ました。このような中州に鎮座された祠を、大同二（807）年、平城天皇の勅命を受けた藤原内麻呂により現在地の息栖に遷座した。国史書『三代実録』にある「於岐都説神社」が現在の息栖神社です。仁和元年（1120年）の記には「授常陸国 正六位上 於岐都説神従五位下」とあり、於岐都説（おきつせ）は於岐都州（おきつす）であり、沖洲➡息栖になったものであると考えられます。〜
神格自体が特定の人格神ではなく、路の神・井戸の神・交通守護の神というそういった「営為」の守護であるということなのでしょう。常識的な神社信仰とは異質な神格だと言える。
さらに「くなど」という神格をググると「岐の神とは、古より牛馬守護の神、豊穣の神としてはもとより、禊、魔除け、厄除け、道中安全の神として信仰されている。日本の民間信仰において、疫病・災害などをもたらす悪神・悪霊が聚落に入るのを防ぐとされる神である。また、久那土はくなぐ、即ち交合・婚姻を意味するものという説もある。」

息栖神社のいろいろなナゾがようやくにして全貌を見せてくれているように思える。
東国三社として鹿島・香取と同列に位置づけられていながら、モヤがかかったような不鮮明さがぬぐえなかったものが、古代地形としての内海の風景の中で水上交通の最大要衝地であって、その場所自体が「神宿る」とされたけれど、具体的な人格神特定には至らなかったということ。
海外には「マーメイド」という女神が存在する。人魚は女性の頭と上半身、魚の尾を持つ水生生物であり、ヨーロッパ、アジア、アフリカを含む世界中の多くの文化の民間伝承に登場する。
本来であれば、日本の神社信仰でもこういう人格に仮託されるべきだったのかも知れない。

English vrsion⬇

The Shrine of the Unpersonalized God, Ikisu Shrine (5): Exploration of Three Shrines in Eastern Japan – 25
I have been writing and polishing my research on the mysterious shrine. Finally, I came up with a hypothesis. Is it a shrine belief version of the Mermaid legend? The Mermaid Legend.

There is no “main hall” or “hall of worship” within the precincts of the shrine. Instead, a “shrine pavilion” is built as the central structure. There is no indication of the so-called “deities of worship. The history of the shrine includes the following description
〜It is said that the shrine was first located in the present-day Nikkawa area, and was moved to its present location in the 2nd year of the Daido Era (807). The shrine enshrines three deities, Sumiyoshi (guardian of the sea), in addition to Ki (god of paths and wells) and Amatori-Fune (guardian of traffic). The shrine is positioned as a regency shrine of the Kashima Jingu Shrine. 〜The fact that it is a regent shrine of Kashima Jingu Shrine means that there is no “main shrine” where the deities are enshrined. In addition, the shrine does not have a “main hall” where the deities of the shrine reside,
〜The deity of the deity of Kashima and Katori followed the deities of Kashima and Katori to the East during the Kami period, and although both Kashima and Katori shrines were located on the plateau, the deity of Kunato and the deity of Amano-torifune remained at the seashore at Hikawa (present Hikawa, Kamisu City) and were eventually enshrined as a shrine in the reign of the Emperor Ojin. 〜The description of the shrine is “a shrine of the gods of the sea”.
〜In the past, the southern edge of the hills in the Kashima area extended as far as Kunisue, Kashima City, and eventually a sandbar connected to the land and several settlements were established. In 807, Fujiwara no Uchimaro, under the command of Emperor Heijo, relocated the shrine to its present location in the middle of the island. The “Oki-tosetsu Shrine” mentioned in the national history book “Sandai Jitsuroku” is the present-day Ikisu Shrine. In a chronicle of the first year of Ninna (1120), it is written, “授常陸国 正六位上 於岐都説神従五位下,” and it is thought that Okitsuse is 於岐都説, which became Okisu ➡息栖. ~.
The deity itself is not a specific personal deity, but rather a guardian of such “activities” as the god of roads, the god of wells, and the god of traffic protection. It is a deity that is alien to common sense shrine worship.
Furthermore, when I googled the deity “Kudo”, I found that “Ki no Kami has been believed in since ancient times not only as a god of cow and horse protection and fertility, but also as a god of misogi, protection from evil spirits, protection from mischief, and safety on the road. In Japanese folk beliefs, he is said to prevent evil gods and spirits that bring plagues and disasters from entering the village. Some people also believe that kunado means “kunagu,” which means mating or marriage.”

It seems that the various riddles of the Ikisu Shrine have finally been revealed in their entirety.
Although the shrine was ranked with Kashima and Katori as one of the three shrines in the eastern part of the country, it was a strategic point for water traffic in the ancient topography of the inland sea, and although the place itself was considered to be “home to a god,” it was not identified as a specific personal deity.
The goddess “mermaid” exists in other countries. Mermaids are aquatic creatures with a woman’s head, upper body, and fish tail, and appear in the folklore of many cultures around the world, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Perhaps they should have been hypothesized as such personalities in Japanese shrine beliefs.

Posted on 8月 30th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

現地の息栖神社では不覚にもこの「碇」の存在に気付かず、説明板のついでに周辺を撮影した写真から今回いちばん上の写真を拡大・編集してみた。よく文章を読んでみたらこの目立たない「碇」が重要な役回りで港（津）であったこの息栖の地の素性を表していたことにあとで気付かされた。
どうも「息栖」という漢字表記の地名は一般的な日本語感覚からは想像しにくい。息という字はまさか地名とは思わず、つい「鳥」と無意識に見間違えて「とりす、かなぁ。ウイスキーみたいだ」というような無用な妄想誤解がアタマのなかに浮かんで収拾がつかない（笑）。
こういうのはわたしだけではなく多くの人がそう思うようです。
一方で「おきすの津」と古代に呼ばれていた地名はよくわかる。ストンと腑に落ちてくる表現。ではどうして「おきす」が「息栖」になったのか、調べてみても情報に巡り会えない。
そういう不条理感から、どうも地名に「海民」的な、原初的日本人言語感が投影されているのではないかと妄想が飛躍したりする。古日本語的な言語感覚があるようにも思えるのですね。この感覚は飛鳥地方とか、徳島県の山岳地域などにも通じるようなもの。その後の日本語は活発な「漢字文化」の導入によってその「音読み」「意味づけ」が主流になっていったのに対して、オリジナルな日本語の感受性を伝えてくれていると思えるのです。
さらに、一説ではこの東国三社とは、ヤマト王権以前に関東〜東北に存在したとされる「日高見〜ひだかみ〜国」の根拠地に相当するのではないかとも言われる。
北海道にいるとアイヌ語由来の地名が非常に多いけれど、そういう言語感覚にも通底しそうな表現の仕方が投影されているとも思えてくる。

いずれにせよ、古関東の内海の港（津）であった息栖に関連して日本列島の国内各地間の太平洋側海上ルートを探ってみるけれど、なかなか明示的研究に突き当たらない。この息栖神社の解説説明板には以下の記述。
「徳川期になると幕府の拠点江戸と東北との交流が盛んになりその水上輸送路は、江戸川・利根川・水郷地帯・銚子河口から北上しての鹿島灘といった航路が選ばれていた。こうした長距離輸送には当然大型船舶が用いられ、往復途上で息栖神社は航海の安全祈願をしたとされる。」（要旨抜粋）
上の図は江戸期に消費都市江戸に20万石ほどの米を提供したといわれる仙台藩の安定的輸送ルートを諮問された先端的事業家・河村瑞賢が開拓した「東回り航路」図。＜こちらは宮城県の公式資料「河村 瑞賢 -東廻り航路を拓く」より引用＞
「これまでの海運では船が難破することが多い。仙台藩から江戸に到着するのに１年かかることすらある。」と相談されたかれが開発した。
しかし、奥州藤原氏の時代には愛知県常滑の磁器が威信材として、遠く北海道・厚真でも発掘されている。たしかに日本海側が国内物流の基本ではあったでしょうが、熊野水軍など太平洋側の物流輸送活動実態もある。海路の日本史、非常に奥行きのある世界だと思います。

English version⬇

Okisu ⇒ Ikisu & Domestic Shipping History, Ikisu Shrine (3): Exploration of Three Shrines in Eastern Japan – 23
Japanese History of Language Sense Transition. Is it a residue of the ancient Yamato language?　What about the development process of domestic sea routes on the Pacific Ocean side from ancient times? The history of domestic maritime transport in Japan

I was unintentionally unaware of the existence of this “anchor” at the local shrine, so I enlarged and edited the top photo from the photos I took of the surrounding area while reading the explanatory board. After reading the text carefully, I realized later that this inconspicuous “anchor” played an important role in the identity of this place, which used to be a port (Tsu).
It is difficult to imagine a place name written in kanji characters as “breath” in the common Japanese sense. I did not think that the character for “breath” was a place name, and I unconsciously mistook it for “bird” and said, “Torisu, I wonder. It sounds like whiskey.
(Laughs.) This is not only me, but many people seem to think so.
On the other hand, I understand the name of the place called “Okisu-no-tsu” in ancient times. It is an expression that falls into place. But when I tried to find out why “Okisu” became “Ikisu,” I could not come across any information.
This sense of absurdity leads me to wonder if the place name might reflect a primitive Japanese linguistic sense like that of the “Kaimin” people. It seems to me that there is an old Japanese linguistic sense. This sense is something like that of the Asuka region or the mountainous areas of Tokushima Prefecture. It seems to me that it conveys an original Japanese sensibility, whereas the Japanese language since then has been dominated by its “sound reading” and “meaning making” with the introduction of an active “kanji culture.
Furthermore, one theory suggests that these three shrines in the eastern part of the country may correspond to the border line with the “Hidakami – Hidakami – Province,” which is said to have existed in the Kanto – Tohoku region before the Yamato Kingship.
In Hokkaido, there are many place names derived from the Ainu language, and I cannot help but think that such a way of expression that seems to be common to such linguistic sensibilities is also projected here.

In any case, I have been searching for maritime routes between the Japanese archipelago and other parts of Japan in relation to the ancient Kanto inland sea port (Tsu) of Suisu, but have been unable to come across any explicit research on the subject. The explanatory board at the shrine reads as follows.
The Edo River, the Tone River, the Suigo area, and the Kashima Sea route northward from the mouth of the Choshi River to the Kashima Sea were chosen for the water transportation routes. Naturally, large vessels were used for such long-distance transportation, and it is said that the shrine prayed for safe voyages on the way there and back. (Abstract excerpt)
The above chart shows the “eastbound route” pioneered by Kawamura Zuiken, a leading entrepreneur who was consulted on a stable transportation route by the Sendai clan, which is said to have supplied the consuming city of Edo with some 200,000 koku of rice during the Edo period. In the past, ships were often shipwrecked in shipping. It sometimes takes a year for a ship to reach Edo from Sendai. Takara, who was consulted by the Oshu Fujiwara clan, developed the map.
However, during the reign of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, porcelain from Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, was excavated as prestige material, as well as in Atsuma, Hokkaido in the distant past. It is true that the Sea of Japan side was the basis of domestic distribution, but there were also activities on the Pacific side, such as the Kumano Suigun (navy). The history of Japan by sea is a world of great depth.

Posted on 8月 28th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

さて東国三社と呼ばれる鹿島神宮、香取神宮、そして若干スピンアウトして蘇我氏の関係する龍角寺とみてきましたが、このシリーズ最後はナゾに包まれた息栖神社であります。
事前にわかる資料もほとんどなく、歴史好きの興味で「東国三社といわれているし・・・」程度のノリで探訪させていただいたのですが、実際に現地を訪問してその実感を踏まえて再度探索をはじめて見ると、「おお、あの事実はこういった背景から生成したことなのか」と驚かされることばかり。関東との縁がふたたび濃厚になって、この日本最大の平野地帯の地形変容ということについての理解、正確な把握が迫られてきていることに気付かされる次第。
必ずしも大和平野、京都大阪での日本史だけが悠久なのではないということか。
上の図は、いまの息栖神社のマップと縄文期の海進のなかでの古代地形推計。眼前には香取の海、霞ヶ浦、古鬼怒湾といった内海が広がっていた古代風景が見えてくる。息栖神社というのは古代地形からみれば海上交通の要衝地であったことが推測できてくる。とくに太平洋を介して東北地域とヤマト政権支配地域との物流・移動を考えれば、最前線的な位置であると知れてくる。


そういう気付きに踏まえて現地での探訪体験を重ね合わせると、なにげに見ていた「忍潮井(おしおい)」と呼ばれる2つの井戸の記憶が湧き上がってきた。こういった縄文海進の痕跡と重ね合わせれば、古代の海上交通での最大の生命線・必需品、飲料水のことが雷鳴のごとくに納得感として襲ってくる。
この湧き水は伊勢の明星井(忍塩井）、山城(京都・伏見)の直井とともに日本三霊水の一つとされる。神社のHPを見ると以下の記述（要旨）。
〜常陸利根川沿いにある一の鳥居の両脇に小さな鳥居の建てられた二つの四角い井戸「忍潮井（おしおい）」があります。男瓶（おがめ）と女瓶（めがめ）と呼んでいます。忍潮井は194年に造られ2000年近く清水を湧き出し続けてきました。辺り一面が海水におおわれており、真水（淡水）の水脈を発見し噴出させたところ、辺りの海水を押しのけて真水が湧出したことから、忍潮井の名がつけられました。水と人類との関わりの中で最も古いかたちの井戸です。女瓶の水を男性が、男瓶の水を女性が飲むと二人は結ばれるという言い伝えがあり、縁結びのご利益もあるとされます。〜
日本海の航海と違って荒波で知られる太平洋航路でようやく波穏やかな内海に入ってほどなくのこの息栖の地で、この清水にめぐり会った人びとは、大いにこの地のありがたさに感動させられ、この地には「神宿る」とその神性を感受したことだろう。
この列島に生きてきた人間として、そういう自然への原初的帰依は激しく理解できる。

English version⬇

Ancient Landforms and the Riddle of the Sea God, the Ikisu Shrine (1): Exploring the Three Shrines of Eastern Japan – 21
A node of maritime traffic and logistics in an archipelagic society. A strategic point between the Yamato regime-controlled area and Northeastern Japan. A place where fresh water, where the god resides, springs from. The shrine is a place where the gods dwell.

We have already visited the three shrines in the eastern part of Japan, Kashima Jingu Shrine, Katori Jingu Shrine, and, slightly spinning out, Ryukakuji Temple, which is related to the Soga clan.
I visited the shrine with little information beforehand, and with only a casual “it is said to be one of the three shrines in the eastern part of Japan…” out of historical curiosity, but when I actually visited the shrine and began my search again based on that experience, I was surprised to find that “Oh, so this is the background that led to that fact. I was surprised at the fact that it was generated from such a background. As my connection with the Kanto region has grown stronger, I have come to realize that I must now understand and accurately grasp the topographical transformation of Japan’s largest plain area.
It may be that the history of Japan is not necessarily limited to the Yamato Plain and Kyoto-Osaka area.
The above figure shows a map of the present-day Ikosu Shrine and an ancient topographic map of the Jomon period in the midst of the sea advance. In front of our eyes, we can see the ancient landscape of inland seas such as the Katori Sea, Kasumigaura, and Ko-Kinu Bay. The ancient topography of the shrine suggests that it was a strategic point for maritime traffic. In particular, it was a frontline location for the distribution and movement of goods between the Tohoku region and the Yamato regime-controlled areas via the Pacific Ocean.

When I took this realization into account and superimposed it on my exploration experience at the site, memories of two wells called “Oshioi,” which I had casually observed, began to well up. When superimposed on these traces of the Jomon sea advance, the idea of drinking water, the greatest lifeline and necessity of ancient maritime traffic, hit me like a thunderclap of conviction.
This spring water is considered one of the three sacred waters of Japan, along with Meisei well (Oshioi well) in Ise and Naoi well in Yamashiro (Fushimi, Kyoto). The shrine’s website gives the following description (summary).
〜˜There are two square wells called Oshioi (Oshioi) with small torii gates built on either side of the first torii gate along the Hitachi-Tone River. They are called Ogame (male bottle) and Megame (female bottle). Oshioi was built in 194 and has been producing fresh water for nearly 2,000 years. The entire area was covered with seawater, and when a vein of fresh water (freshwater) was discovered and gushed out, the fresh water gushed out, pushing aside the seawater in the area, hence the name Oshioi Well. This is the oldest well in the relationship between water and humankind. According to legend, if a man drinks the water from the woman’s bottle and a woman drinks the water from the man’s bottle, the two will be united, and the well is said to bring good luck in marriage. 〜The water in the male bottle is said to be good for marriage.
Unlike voyages on the Sea of Japan, those who encountered this fresh water in the Pacific Ocean, known for its rough seas, must have been greatly moved by the gratitude of this place, and must have felt the divinity of this place, as if a god resided here.
As a person who has lived on this archipelago, I can understand this primordial devotion to nature.

Posted on 8月 26th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

明治以前まで全国の神社の中で「神宮」という名称を託されていたのは、伊勢と香取・鹿島の３社のみ。
神社建築の場合は祀られる神さまが鎮座される建築が「本殿」であり、それに対して参詣する場が「拝殿」ということになる。一般的な神社建築ではこのふたつは一体的だと思う。わたしが毎日のように参拝する北海道神宮でも拝殿の奥に本殿が連続している。この香取神宮でも同様のスタイルで、拝殿の奥に本殿があって建築的には「繋がって」連棟形式で建てられている。鹿島神宮では本殿は令和の建て替え工事中で仮囲いされていたけれど、建築スタイルとしてはこの香取と同様に連棟形式が採用されていた。
デザイン傾向として、どちらも建築時期である江戸期の独特に進化した装飾形式が取られている。鹿皮のような色をした桧皮葺の屋根に黒塗り壁面が特徴。
一方、伊勢神宮では本殿は完全分離して外宮では拝殿という建築はなく、簡素な本殿建築が敷石平面の上に建っているだけでそれを仰ぎながら遙拝する形式。つくりが簡素なだけに式年遷宮という建て替えが歴史年代、一時期の衰退はあったけれど、ほぼ継続されてきた。
勅祭社らしく香取神宮本殿では屋根の飾りとして金細工で菊の紋章があしらわれ、その下の破風飾りにも金細工が施されて黒い本体着色と対比的で目を奪う装飾性を感じさせる。武神ということでもっと武骨なデザインがと思うけれど「目を奪う」という方向に向かっているように感じられる。オシャレに目覚めた武神か。
江戸期の日本社会というのは建前上は武断政治的だけれど、ながく平和が続いたことで武神というもののイメージもそのように変容していったものだろうか。香取神宮の周辺環境もまた変貌している。利根川東遷という大土木事業が成功して「香取の海」が縮小して利根川河川に変貌したのと対応しているとも感じる。

こちらは香取神宮の神宝・国宝海獣葡萄鏡。香取神宮の創建は神武18年とされてそれは確認しようもないが,
この神宝は正倉院にも同様の宝物が全５点あるという。そのなかで正倉院南倉9号収蔵品と同型とのこと。正倉院の創建は西暦756年だから、少なくともその頃にまで香取神宮の来歴は遡れることになる。
「鏡径29.7㎝。界圏は刳り込み形。鈕は伏獣形で鬣と背骨を表現し、口に小鹿を咥える。内区の獣には有角狻猊や獅子が表され、その周囲に小獣13匹が表され、それぞれの様相も様々である。帯圏上に外区の葡萄文が伸びて葡萄紋と柘榴瑞果紋が表され、その間に小禽・昆虫が表現される。外区は8禽8獣が右旋回で表され外縁帯は雲花紋とパルメット紋が混合した唐草文。鏡形が大きくひとつの完成形ともいえる。」
関東を治める神格としてこうした神宝がその格式を表現。ただこの鏡を見てオシャレに目覚めたか。

English version⬇

Katori Jingu Shrine 5: Exploration of Three Shrines in Eastern Japan – 19
The same objects as the Shosoin treasures are the sacred treasures. The Shosoin treasures are the same as the Shosoin treasures, cutting-edge artifacts imported through trade with the Tang Dynasty. The Takejin also cared about the appearance of these treasures (laugh)…

Before the Meiji era, only three Shinto shrines in Japan, Ise, Katori, and Kashima, were entrusted with the name “Jingu” (Shrine).
In the case of shrine architecture, the “hon-den” is the building where the deities are enshrined, and the “haiden” is the place of worship where visitors pay homage. In general shrine architecture, these two are considered to be one and the same. At the Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, which I visit every day, the main hall is located behind the worship hall. The Katori Jingu Shrine has the same style, with the main hall behind the worship hall, and the two are architecturally “connected” and built in a series of buildings. At Kashima Jingu, the main hall was temporarily enclosed during the reconstruction of 2021, but it was built in the same style as this Katori shrine, in a series of linked buildings.
The design trend in both buildings is the uniquely evolved decorative style of the Edo period (1603-1868) when they were built. The roof is cypress bark thatched with a color similar to deer skin, and the walls are painted black.
On the other hand, in Ise Jingu, the main shrine is completely separated from the outer shrine, and there is no worship hall in the outer shrine, but only a simple main shrine built on a paving stone level, which is worshipped while looking up to it. Because of the simplicity of the structure, the shrine has been reconstructed in the form of shikinen sengu (ceremonial relocation of the shrine) for most of its history, although there was a decline for a period of time.
As is typical of an imperial shrine, the main hall of Katori Jingu Shrine has a gold-work chrysanthemum crest as a roof decoration, and the gable below it is also decorated with gold work, which contrasts with the black coloring of the main body, creating an eye-catching decorative effect. The gold work on the gable below the chrysanthemum crest is also gold-plated, contrasting with the black coloring of the main body, and creating a sense of eye-catching ornamentation. Is this a god of war who has awakened to fashion?
Japanese society during the Edo period was, by its very nature, a military-dominated society, but the image of the warrior gods may have changed as peace continued for a long period of time. The environment surrounding the Katori Jingu Shrine has also changed. I feel that this corresponds to the success of the great engineering project of the eastward shift of the Tone River, which caused the “Katori Sea” to shrink and transform into the Tone River.

This is the Katori Jingu Shrine’s sacred treasure, the National Treasure Kaiju Budo Kagami (mirror of sea beasts and grapes). The Katori Jingu Shrine was founded in the 18th year of the Jinmu period, although there is no way to confirm this.
This is the same treasure as five other treasures in the Shosoin Repository. Among them, this treasure is said to be the same type as the one housed in Shosoin’s Nanzang No. 9. The Shosoin was built in 756 A.D., which means that the history of Katori Jingu can be traced back at least to that time.
The mirror is 29.7 cm in diameter. The mirror is 29.7 cm in diameter, with a gouged-in outer circle. The knob is in the shape of a beast with a mane and backbone, and a fawn in its mouth. The inner category of beasts includes an antlered eminence and a lion, surrounded by 13 smaller beasts, each of which has a different aspect. The grapevine pattern on the outer section extends above the band and is surrounded by a grape and boxwood pattern, with small birds and insects between the grape and boxwood patterns. The outer band has an arabesque design with a mixture of cloud and flower patterns and palmetto patterns. The large mirror shape can be said to be one of the most complete forms.
As the deity that ruled the Kanto region, these treasures expressed his prestige. But did this mirror awaken your sense of fashion?

Posted on 8月 24th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »