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【失敗を恐れ消極的、が80.2%のニッポン人】



最近、脳科学者の中野信子さんがメディアでブレークしている。わたしはNHK-BSの歴史勉強番組「英雄たちの選択」の大ファンで、ここに彼女はときどき出演されている。で、歴史上の人物の脳の働き方目線でユニークな気付きを与えてくれている。歴史人物の行動規範とか、人物分析にまったく新たな解析手法で迫ってくれて非常に説得力がある。美貌でクールな意見を発出されるので凡百はコロッと説得されやすい傾向にある、なのですね（笑）。
で、最新研究領域に近い「脳科学」というものの広報役を担っているように思える。ある番組で彼女は日本人のDNA的な分析結果として「非常に心配性である」と語られていた。そこでそういった研究について調べていたら、量子科学技術研究開発機構という組織の研究論文に突き当たり、そのなかでもQ-LEAP量子生命Flagshipプロジェクトという興味深い研究成果を知った。
論文のサブタイトルには「過度に失敗を恐れて行動が消極的になりがちな人の脳で何が起きているか？ ―行動の動機づけシステムに基づく不安障害やうつ病の治療の実現に有用な知見」という長大なもの。https://www.qst.go.jp/site/q-leap/press220322.html
「国立研究開発法人・量子科学技術研究開発機構（理事長平野 俊夫）量子生命・医学部門量子医科学研究所脳機能イメージング研究部（主は量子生命科学研究所量子認知脳科学グループ）の山田真希子グループリーダー、および千葉大学大学院医学研究院脳神経内科学の小島一歩医師、平野成樹診療准教授、桑原聡教授らの共同研究グループは、罰を回避する行動にセロトニン神経伝達機能が関わっていることを発見した」のだそうです。＜論文発出：2022年3月22日＞
さらに「人間を含む動物の行動は、目標達成や報酬獲得のために“行動を賦活する系”と“罰や損害を回避するために行動を抑制する系”の大きく二つの動機づけシステムによって制御されていると考えられています。行動を抑制する系（行動抑制系）は、人間においては不安や抑うつなどの負の感情と関連していますが、行動抑制系に関して脳で何が起きているかは明らかにされていません。」とのこと。
人類というのは地球の全大陸を制覇するのに際して常にフロンティアスピリットを昂進させてきた存在であり、それは「チャレンジする魂」が根幹だろうと思える。日本人にはこのチャレンジすることを積極化させることに関与する脳内物質少ないという。むしろ相反する傾向である「心配性であること」に関与する脳内物質「セロトニン」の発出量が世界で有数に高いのだという研究結果。世界一般では50%以下であるのに、日本人は80.2%なのだと。
・・・面白い（笑）。こういう領域研究って経営や組織・人事運営に深く関わることが確実だと思う。目からウロコというか、そういった整理整頓が可能なのであれば非常に有用な研究領域。たしかに歴史の決定論解明にも、民族傾向の分析・把握、さらには組織運営にも非常に有益かと。
う〜む、このことがら、ちょっと深掘りしてみたい。・・・

English version⬇

80.2% of Japanese are reluctant to take on new challenges due to fear of failure.
The “national character” is often expressed in a positive way, but it also suppresses a “challenging” mindset. A research paper published on March 22, 2022, which is also significant for management. …

Recently, brain scientist Nobuko Nakano has been getting a break in the media. I am a big fan of the NHK-BS history study program “Heroes’ Choice,” in which she sometimes appears. She sometimes appears on the NHK-BS history study program, “Heroes’ Choice,” and gives us unique insights from the perspective of how the brains of historical figures work. She is very convincing in her analysis of historical figures and their codes of conduct, using a completely new analytical method. He is a beautiful man with cool opinions, and ordinary people tend to be easily persuaded by him (laughs).
She seems to be playing a publicity role for “brain science,” which is close to the latest research field. In one of the programs, she mentioned that Japanese people are “very anxious” as a result of DNA analysis. In researching such research, I came across a research paper by the Quantum Science and Technology Agency (QSTA) and learned of an interesting research project called the Q-LEAP Quantum Life Flagship Project.
The subtitle of the paper is “What is happening in the brains of people who tend to be overly fearful of failure and reluctant to act? -Significant findings useful for the realization of treatment of anxiety disorders and depression based on motivational systems for action” lengthy.
https://www.qst.go.jp/site/q-leap/press220322.html
A research group led by Makiko Yamada, group leader of the Functional Brain Imaging Research Department (mainly the Quantum Cognitive Neuroscience Group of the Quantum Medical Science Institute of the National Institute of Quantum Science and Technology (President: Toshio Hirano), and a joint research group led by Dr. Kazuho Kojima, Dr. Shigeki Hirano, and Professor Satoshi Kuwahara of the Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, has discovered that serotonin neurotransmission is involved in punishment avoidance behavior. They found that serotonin neurotransmitter function is involved in punishment avoidance behavior. .
Furthermore, “It is thought that the behavior of animals, including humans, is controlled by two major motivational systems: a system that “activates behavior” to achieve goals and obtain rewards, and a system that “inhibits behavior to avoid punishment or damage. The “behavior suppression system” is thought to be controlled by two major motivational systems. The system that inhibits behavior (behavioral inhibition system) is associated with negative emotions such as anxiety and depression in humans, but what is happening in the brain with respect to the behavioral inhibition system is not clear. He said.
Human beings have always been exhilarated by the frontier spirit in conquering all continents on the earth, and it seems to me that the “spirit of challenge” is at the core of this spirit. It is said that Japanese people have few substances in their brains that are involved in actively taking on challenges. In fact, research shows that the amount of serotonin, a brain substance involved in the opposite tendency, “being anxious,” is one of the highest in the world. The Japanese have a serotonin level of 80.2%, compared to less than 50% in the rest of the world.
This is interesting. I am sure that this kind of research is deeply related to management, organization, and human resource management. It is a very useful area of research if it is possible to sort out the scales, or rather, to organize them. Indeed, it would be very useful in elucidating the determinants of history, in analyzing and understanding ethnic trends, and in organizational management.
Hmmm… I would like to dig a little deeper into this matter. I would like to explore this topic in more depth.

Posted on 6月 19th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【聖徳太子シリーズ再開せよとの強いプッシュ（笑）】



昨日、週末の日課である山菜・アスパラ類の購入ドライブを果たして帰宅後、ギリギリ間に合ったWEB講演会Zoomに参加し始めたら、中学校時代以来の友人からのケータイ着信。ところがこのWEB講演会が異常な盛り上がり（笑）で、時間がドンドン延長されていく。やむなく終了まで聞き終わった後、友人に返信。
かれはわたしのブログをときどきチェックしてくれているようなのですが、最近の聖徳太子絵伝シリーズに強い興味を持ってくれていたのだそうです。で、昔読書した本で哲学者の梅原猛氏の書かれた聖徳太子と法隆寺をテーマとした著作「隠された十字架」というかれの蔵書を「あげるわ」ということ。
で、その本は発刊がいまから51年前。わたしたちが20才の当時に発刊された本なのです。その頃はわたしもかれも東京で大学に通っていた時代で、その当時この梅原氏の本は、大きな反響を呼んでいた。しかしわたしは特段興味を抱くことなく過ごしていたのです。かれの言ではあの哲学者の梅原猛が、という驚きと共に当時の論壇での話題沸騰ぶりはすさまじかったということ。
で、その法隆寺論をわたしにくれる、ということなのです。そしてわざわざ家にまで持参してくれた。新潮社刊B5版のハードカバー本で総ページ456ページ。さっそく目を通してみて、その字詰め、装丁の「びっしりさ」に驚かされる。
写真が51年前発行本の装丁の様子。つい最近発行の同判型の本の装丁ぶりと比較してみると、あきらかに文字の大きさ、行間の設定などに半世紀での出版社会の変化ぶりがわかる。
そしてわたし自身の目の衰えを痛感させられてしまった（泣）。同じ時期に惑溺していた単行本を数冊、本棚から引っ張り出して見てみたら、文字の大きさとか装丁ぶりには共通性があった。わたしたちが若かったというよりも文字の大きさなどの装丁についてよりも、よりみっちりとした「中身」勝負的な姿勢か。
本の内容に至る前に、この半世紀での社会の変化ぶりの方に、いたく想念が向いてしまった。
現代のブログやFacebookなどの形式は一種の出版発表の場でもあるのかも知れない。半世紀前には本を出版するというのはそれだけのバックグランドを持った人間にしか機会がなかったものが、いまは非常に細分化され、だれにでも発表する機会が担保されている。まさに隔世の感。
ということですが、友人からの蔵書提供とはようするに「聖徳太子もの、もっと頑張って続けてみろ」みたいな叱咤であるのかも知れないと思い至った。たしかに知れば知るほどにこの時代は興味深い。梅原猛さんの探究も読ませていただいて、刺激がまた倍加してきています。

English version⬇

[Strong push to restart the Prince Shotoku series.
This is a book by a philosopher published 51 years ago, which explores the mysteries of Horyuji Temple. The small size of the text is a little disconcerting, but the “cramped” feel of the book resonates as a powerful agitation. The book is a very powerful agitation.

Yesterday, after returning home after completing my weekend routine of driving to buy wild vegetables and asparagus, I started to participate in a Zoom web lecture just in time to receive a call on my cell phone from a friend I had not seen since junior high school. However, the web lecture was unusually lively (laugh), and the time was being extended rapidly. After listening to the lecture until the end, I replied to my friend.
He sometimes checks my blog, and he was very interested in my recent series of “Shotoku Taishi E biography” (picture biography of Prince Shotoku). He told me that he had a book in his collection called “The Hidden Cross,” written by philosopher Takeshi Umehara on the theme of Prince Shotoku and Horyuji Temple, which he had read a long time ago.
The book was published 51 years ago. We were 20 years old when the book was published. At that time, both of us were attending university in Tokyo, and Mr. Umehara’s book was a big hit at the time. However, I was not particularly interested in it. He said he was surprised that the philosopher Takeshi Umehara had written a book about Horyuji, and that it had become a hot topic of discussion in the academic circles of the time.
He was surprised to hear that the philosopher Umehara Takeshi had written about Horyu-ji Temple, and he was so excited that he brought it all the way to my house. He even went to the trouble of bringing it to my house. It is a B5 hardcover book published by Shinchosha with a total of 456 pages. I was amazed at the tightness of the binding and the way the text was packed.
The photo shows the binding of the book published 51 years ago. Compared to the binding of a book of the same size published just recently, it is obvious that the size of the text and the spacing between lines have changed in the publishing society over the past half century.
I was also made painfully aware of the deterioration of my own eyesight (I cried). When I pulled out a few of the books that I was absorbed in at the same time and looked at them from the bookshelf, I found similarities in the size of the text and the binding. It was not so much that we were young, but rather that we were more focused on the “content” of the book rather than the size of the text or the binding.
Before getting to the contents of the book, my thoughts turned to the changes in society over the past half-century.
Today’s blogs, Facebook, and other forms of social networking may be a kind of publishing platform. Half a century ago, publishing a book was something that only people with that background had the opportunity to do, but nowadays it is highly segmented, and everyone has the opportunity to publish. It is truly a world apart.
I came to think that my friend’s offer of a book collection may be a rebuke to me, saying, “Prince Shotoku’s works, try harder to keep up with them. It is true that the more I learn about this period, the more interesting it is. I have also read Takeshi Umehara’s explorations, and the stimulation has been doubled.

Posted on 6月 18th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

【獅子舞ルーツ「伎楽」面の人間感情典型化】




聖徳太子絵伝の探究の余韻のなかに依然としてあります（笑）。2005年から「毎日更新」をスタッフから申し渡されて18年間、毎日欠かさずに書き続けていますが、そうすると自分の「数寄」な領域にテーマがどうしても偏っていくようになる。まぁ自然な成り行きでしょうね。ライフワーク。
自分のフィールドとして住宅建築がメイン領域ですが、そこに収められるのは人間のくらし。住宅についての「価値判断」は結局、人間のくらしの好みのようなもの。そうすると類的存在としての人間を考えるのが主要領域化していく流れなのでしょう。歴史とは人間がいろいろな時間の中で「どう対応してきたのか」を教えてくれるもの。過去を知ることではじめて現在と未来を考えることができる。
そういう歴史というのは、いかにも人類らしく興味分野は多種多様に展開してくる。
基本は経済だけれど、精神文化が与える影響はすさまじい。そういう精神文化の典型として宗教がある。法隆寺宝物館展示で、最初期に仏教行事として大陸社会から導入されたというこの伎楽の面を一覧表示で見ていて、いかにも「芸能」のルーツを感じてならなかった。
聖徳太子の時代612年に朝鮮・百済から伝えられたことが伎楽の日本事始め。仏教という世界宗教を日本社会に導入して、東アジア東海の列島フロンティア国家として、世界の潮流にキャッチアップして独立国家圏・社会としての確立を目指すため、こうした宗教付随の文化も導入された。
日本ではこういう仏教導入のカタチだったので、中国南部地域由来とされる伎楽も、政権がその存立についてグリップするように成立してきた。Wikipedia記述では〜『延喜式』によると法隆寺をはじめ、大安寺、東大寺、西大寺などに伎楽を上演する一団がおかれていた。4月8日の仏生会、7月15日の伎楽会と、少なくとも年2回の上演があった。〜という記載。仏教寺院への大衆動員の「見世物」としての役割。
しかしそういう国家関与だったので、やがて関与が薄まるとともに形式は「現地化」していって、やがて獅子舞などの地域密着型芸能に変容していったのだとされる。先日のブログで韓国・ハフェマウルに残る仮面劇との類似性を書いたけれど、獅子舞のような変容のワンパターンと考えるとわかりやすい。
しかしわたし的には、これらの仮面に象徴化された人間の表情のピンナップぶりが刺激的。14種類の人間典型にそれぞれ独特の表情が固定化されているけれど、土俗的風俗的な典型化が人びとの笑いを誘ったとされる。そこには社会風刺・批判精神も見える化されている。
先人たちの思考がひとつひとつの仮面に託されて、人間世界の細部を語ってくれる・・・。

English version⬇

The “Gigaku” masks of the lion dance roots typify human emotions.
The unique facial expressions of the 14 types of human archetypes are formed, but there is also a social satire and critical spirit that can be seen. An opportunity for dialogue with predecessors. …

I have been writing every day for the past 18 years since 2005, when the staff requested me to “update this page every day,” and as a result, my themes have become biased toward my “sukkyoku” area. Well, I guess it’s a natural progression. Lifework.
My main field of work is residential architecture, but it is human life that is encompassed within that field. In the end, “value judgments” about housing are like preferences for human life. In this way, thinking about human beings as similar beings is becoming the main field of study. History is something that tells us “how humans have responded” in various times. Only by knowing the past can we think about the present and the future.
History, as is typical of humankind, has developed in a wide variety of fields of interest.
Although the basic focus is on economics, the influence of spiritual culture is tremendous. Religion is a typical example of such a spiritual culture. In the exhibition at the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures, I saw a list of Gigaku masks, which were introduced from continental society as a Buddhist event in the early days of Buddhism.
Gigaku was introduced to Japan from Baekje, Korea in 612 during the reign of Prince Shotoku, the first time it was performed in Japan. Buddhism, a world religion, was introduced to Japanese society in order to establish Japan as a frontier state in the East Asian archipelago, catching up with global trends and establishing itself as an independent national sphere and society.
According to Wikipedia, there were Gigaku groups at Horyu-ji Temple, Daian-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, Saidai-ji Temple, and other temples in Japan. According to the Engishiki, there was a Gigaku troupe that performed at Horyuji, Daianji, Todaiji, Saidaiji, and other temples, at least twice a year, on April 8 and July 15. 〜The first performance was held on April 8, and the second on July 15. The role of Gigaku was to serve as a “spectacle” to mobilize the masses to visit Buddhist temples.
However, because of the state’s involvement, the form eventually became “localized” as the involvement waned, and it is said that it eventually transformed into lion dances and other community-based performing arts. In a recent blog entry, I wrote about the similarity between the masked drama in Hafemaeul, Korea, and the lion dance, which can be easily understood as a pattern of transformation like the lion dance.
The pin-up nature of the human facial expressions symbolized by these masks is, to my mind, very stimulating. 14 types of human archetypes are fixed with their own unique facial expressions, but it is said that the earthly and folkloric archetypes drew laughter from the audience. The spirit of social satire and criticism is also visible in these works.
The thoughts of our predecessors are entrusted to each mask, and they tell us the details of the human world….

Posted on 6月 17th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【飛鳥から平城京の空気感、日本語感】




現代の日本の首都は東京。その前は京都。一時期武家政治の中心地として鎌倉も。そしてそれより前は奈良。さらに遡ると飛鳥に至る。飛鳥時代には都の概念は「天皇のいる場所」という意味合いであって、必ずしも都市という概念ではなかった。
聖徳太子絵伝シリーズで見てきた飛鳥時代には、奈良盆地のなかで、あるいは近畿地域のどこかで首都機能、権力中心があったとされる。平城京という日本で初めての条坊制による「大都市建設」が大きな画期であって、寺院建築でも飛鳥寺・法隆寺と東大寺には大きな違いがある。飛鳥の時代とはまったく違うものとして東大寺の建設がなされて、そのひとつの集大成となった大仏開眼会には世界からの賓客を招待して、東アジア世界の新興国家としてその大都市の威容を誇示したのだとされている。
聖徳太子以来、仏教の導入と律令体制という「世界標準」を受容して発展させてきたキャッチアップ型の国家建設過程だったのだと思う。
しかし、わたし的には飛鳥の空気感の方が好きだ。
この時代を代表する歌人である額田王女が都が近江に移って世が移ろっていくときに飛鳥に対して情感を込めて愛惜した歌が伝わっている。「三輪山をしかも隠すか雲だにも、こころあらなも隠さふべしや」。
白村江敗戦という激動に至って彼女を含む多くの王族たちはやむなくより内陸に移っていったのだけれど、彼女の心情がおおくの人びとの内面を表現していたのではないかと思う。
その後、近江遷都を主導した天智帝が崩御した後、壬申の乱によって天智帝の正嫡と戦った天武帝は、戦争に勝利した後、ふたたび飛鳥に戻ってきた。いろいろな事情がそこにはあっただろうが、やはり心情的に飛鳥の地、奈良盆地への愛着が多くの人にあっただろうことも推測できる。
その後、宮城都市の建設地としては飛鳥の地は水利に欠陥があって、平城京に移転していくけれど、かろうじて奈良盆地の最北端に留まることになる。額田王女の思いが実ったとも言えるのだろうか。
さらにもうひとつ、原日本語の残滓が飛鳥時代の言語感覚には濃厚に残されていること。
飛鳥寺周辺を歩きまわっていたとき、ちかくにある神社として「飛鳥坐神社〜あすかにいますじんじゃ」という社名を聞いたとき、そのたおやかな語感にひどく癒される思いがした。まぁ「います」というのは坐という漢字にごくふつうに当てられる読みなのだけれど、古語からの連続性が非常に強く印象される。
飛鳥の地を巡ると、そういう言語感覚が各地で迎えてくれる。けっして漢文調の呼び方ではない地名や故事がたくさん出てくるのですね。まさに国のまほろばでしょうか。
平城京の復元大極殿壁面には龍など十二支の動物絵が描かれているけれど、現代の画工たちによる絵柄にも、こうした飛鳥の空気感がほのかに伝わっている感がある。

English version⬇

The Asuka to Heijo-kyo area, the atmosphere, and the Japanese language.
When the poet Princess Nukata left the Asuka area, she composed a poem of regret and regret. Another characteristic of the area is that the residuals of the original Japanese language remain strong. The Mahoroba of the country. ・・・・.

The capital of modern Japan is Tokyo. Before that, it was Kyoto. For a time, Kamakura was also the center of samurai politics. And before that, Nara. Further back, we come to Asuka. In the Asuka period, the concept of capital meant “the place where the emperor resided” and not necessarily a city.
During the Asuka period, which we have seen in the Shotoku Taishi Pictorial Biography series, there was a capital function or center of power somewhere in the Nara Basin or in the Kinki region. Heijo-kyo, Japan’s first “metropolis” built under a system of monks, was a major milestone, and there are significant differences between Asukadera and Horyu-ji temples and Todai-ji temple in terms of temple architecture. The construction of Todai-ji Temple was completely different from the Asuka period, and the Great Buddha Opening Ceremony, which marked the culmination of the construction, is said to have been an occasion to invite distinguished guests from around the world and to show off the majesty of the metropolis as a newly emerging East Asian nation.
Since the time of Prince Shotoku, the process of nation-building has been a process of catching up with the “world standard” of the introduction of Buddhism and the Ritsuryo system.
However, I prefer the atmosphere of Asuka.
Princess Nukata, one of the most famous poets of this period, wrote a poem about Asuka when the capital was moved to Omi and the world was changing. The poem is titled “Miwasan wo dama dake kaumo datamo kokoroaranamo kakifushiya” (“Even the clouds that hide Mt. Miwa must hide the heart of Asuka”).
Although many of the royal family, including Asuka, had no choice but to move further inland after the upheaval of the defeat at the Hakumura River, her sentiments may have expressed the inner feelings of many of the people.
Later, after the death of Emperor Tenchi, who had led the relocation of the capital to Omi, Emperor Temmu, who had fought against Emperor Tenchi’s legitimate successor in the Jinshin War, returned to Asuka again after winning the war. There must have been various reasons for this, but it can be assumed that many people were emotionally attached to Asuka and the Nara Basin.
Later, Asuka was moved to Heijo-kyo because of its poor water supply, but it remained in the northernmost part of the Nara Basin. Could it be said that Princess Nukata’s wishes bore fruit?
Another thing is that the Asuka period’s sense of language is rich in remnants of the original Japanese language.
When I was walking around Asukadera Temple and heard the name of a nearby shrine, Asukani-no-Izumi-jinja, I was greatly comforted by its gentle sense of language. Well, “isu” is a very common reading of the Chinese character “za,” but the continuity from the ancient language is very impressive.
When I toured Asuka, I was greeted by such a sense of language in various places. There are many place names and events that are not called in the Chinese style. Is this truly the Mahoroba of the country?
On the wall of the restored Daigoku-den Hall in Heijo-kyo, there are paintings of dragons and other animals of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, and I feel that this sense of Asuka’s atmosphere is faintly conveyed in the designs by modern painters.

Posted on 6月 16th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【聖徳太子の死と偶像化 法隆寺宝物館-17】




法隆寺宝物館「聖徳太子絵伝」記事、第17回目は最終回。聖徳太子さんの死とその後の国家宗教的な偶像化について。このシリーズの第一回はこちら→端正なモダニズム「法隆寺宝物館」探訪。

日本が仏教の広布を「鎮護国家」の基本に据えた、その創始に深く関わった皇族として摂政・厩戸王を長く敬愛し、そして「聖徳」という尊号を寄贈して長く崇敬し続けたことはわたしたちの歴史と精神性の重要ななにか物語っているのだと思う。通常のブログ記事テーマとはちょっと異質なテーマ選択でしかも全17回にまで及んでしまった。
日本建築でも特異に象徴化された存在である法隆寺の宝物としてながく保持され、それが皇室に献納されていまは東京国立博物館のなかでも「奥の院」のような位置に保存され、そのなかの中核的な宝物とされてきている。
現代でも高校の修学旅行先の最大公約数はやはり法隆寺なのだろう。この寺は仏教寺院というよりも、日本という国家の始原期・飛鳥の時代のいわば象徴のようなものとして、その建築が日本人に刷り込まれ続けてきたといえる。
そういった全体としての国家意識・宗教心の定着に聖徳太子が果たした役割は巨大。日本津々浦々に建設され維持され続けた仏教寺院、日本仏教にとっては、かれの存在はキリスト教におけるイエスキリストのようだったともいえる。この国で仏教が排斥もされず根付き続けたことの根拠として、仏教側では繰り返し、その事跡を広布し続けてきた。
622年にかれが死んで以降、たぶん個人の記録としては日本史ではじめて「絵伝」というような事跡紹介が制作され続けた。権力機構としての皇室にとってもこうした人物の事跡が正統性の根拠としてながく機能し続けてきたことは疑いようがない。かれの生きた事跡とともに、死後の象徴化も奇跡的。
聖徳太子は愛し続けた妃とほぼ同時に世を去った。葬送には天皇も参加したとされる。
いちばん上の絵はかれが空想の乗り物に乗って「前世で残した」経文を小野妹子に持ち帰らせた中国・叡山にまで乗っていくありさまを表している。日本国家では自身の権力基盤を宗教権威にまで高めてきた状況を物語っている。
民族のDNAの純粋化というようなものは日本のような島国国家にはあり得るのだろう。大陸国家ではあり得ないような民族的心性のようなものが存在している。十七条憲法の最初に「和を以て貴しとなす」と宣命したことは、その後の日本民族にも刷り込まれていったのだと思う。こういった人物に仮託されたものについて、今後も考えて見たいなと思っています。

English version⬇

The Death and Idolization of Prince Shotoku: The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures-17
Japanese history may have utilized the traces of this man to the nation’s own “religiosity”. The deeply penetrated “faith” of Prince Shotoku. …

The 17th and final article in the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures, “Shotoku Taishi Eaden. It is about the death of Prince Shotoku and his subsequent idolization as a state religious figure.

The fact that Japan has long held in high esteem the regent King Umato-oh as a member of the imperial family who was deeply involved in the founding of Japan, which placed the spread of Buddhism as the basis of its “state of tranquility and protection,” and that he donated the honorific title “Shotoku” to Japan and continued to be revered for a long time, tells us something important about our history and spirituality. This is a rather unusual theme for a blog post, and it has been covered in a total of 17 articles.
It has been kept as a treasure of Horyuji Temple, which is a unique symbolic existence in Japanese architecture, and it has been presented to the Imperial Family, and now it is kept in the “inner sanctum” of the Tokyo National Museum, where it is regarded as the core treasure.
Even today, Horyu-ji is probably the most common destination for high school excursions. This temple is not so much a Buddhist temple as a symbol of the Asuka period, the original period of the Japanese nation, and its architecture has been continuously imprinted on the Japanese people.
Prince Shotoku’s role in the establishment of such an overall national and religious consciousness is enormous. For Japanese Buddhists, his presence was like that of Jesus Christ in Christianity. His presence in Japan was like that of Jesus Christ in Christianity, and his presence in Japan has been repeatedly publicized by the Buddhist side as evidence that Buddhism has not been ostracized and has continued to take root in this country.
After his death in 622, the first personal record of his life, perhaps in Japanese history, was produced in the form of a “pictorial biography” of the event. There is no doubt that for the imperial family as a power structure, the traces of such persons have continued to function as the basis of legitimacy. In addition to the traces of his life, his posthumous symbolism is also miraculous.
Prince Shotoku died at about the same time as his beloved wife. It is said that the emperor participated in the funeral.
The last picture shows him riding in an imaginary vehicle to Mount Eizan in China, where he had Ono Imoko bring back a sutra he had “left behind in a previous life. It tells of a situation in which the Japanese nation has elevated its own power base to religious authority.
The purification of ethnic DNA is possible in an island nation like Japan, but not in a continental nation. There exists a kind of ethnic mentality that is not possible in a continental nation. I believe that the first sentence of the Seventeen-Article Constitution, which proclaimed that “harmony is the key to nobility,” was imprinted on the Japanese people in the years that followed. I would like to continue to think about and look at what was hypothesized in these figures.

Posted on 6月 15th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【王権と政権 日本的権力構造 法隆寺宝物館-16】




法隆寺宝物館「聖徳太子絵伝」記事、第16回目は推古天皇と聖徳太子による政権構造について。このシリーズの第一回はこちら→端正なモダニズム「法隆寺宝物館」探訪。

日本史が中国の歴史とも朝鮮半島の歴史とも大きく相違するのは、天皇という王権の存在。列島に統合的政治権力が発生して以来、国家統合の中核として存続してきた。
中国では易姓革命によって前王朝を暴力をもって倒した政権が変遷し続けてきた。朝鮮半島でもそもそも統一政権というものの方が稀有なように地域別に国家権力が乱立して権力が推移してきた。世界を見ても日本の権力構造はきわめて特殊で例外的な存在と言うことができるだろうと思う。辛うじてイギリスの権力構造が近似的だということがいえる。チャールズ国王の即位式で示された天皇家への配慮にはそういう意思が示されている。明治の大転換に際して、ヨーロッパ的な「皇帝型」権力というように転換したけれど、日本史の普通からすれば、明治以降戦前までの体制の方が特異的であって、むしろ敗戦後の占領軍統治以降の「象徴天皇制」の方がより普遍に近いと思える。敗戦後の混乱時、日本はギリギリの「国体護持」を計った様子がわかる。
そういった国体感覚の始原として聖徳太子の時代の権力構造が示唆的なのではないか。
写真は奈良で復元された平城京の「大極殿」のなかにある「高御座」。最近の令和の即位式でも今上天皇が座られたことが記憶に新しい。聖徳太子の時代でも太子22才の時に推古天皇が即位され、それと同時に「摂政」として聖徳太子が就任したことが「絵伝」に記録されている。
絵としての表現として、微妙な描き分けがあって面白い。２枚目の絵伝の図は法隆寺宝物館収蔵の皇室に寄贈された法隆寺本のもの。こちらでは、高御座に推古天皇が座られ、その脇に群臣とは高さを一段高くした座に聖徳太子が、やや体勢を「ナナメ」にして「殿上人」の群臣に対座されている。群臣たちはその位階に応じて高さの違う板敷きの間に座っている。そのなかから蘇我馬子がひとり進み出て天皇の詔勅を承っているところが描かれている。一方の「橘寺本」では同様の配置関係ながら、絵としては聖徳太子が正面に描かれている。構図に込められた意図の違いが興味をそそられる。
聖徳太子が摂政として国政を担当するに際しての事情が、奈良国立博物館での1965年の聖徳太子絵伝展の図録では以下のように解説（要旨）。
〜天皇は太子が摂政として政務を執ることを勅せられた。太子は身の不肖を理由に再三固持されたが、天皇はこれを容れられず、押して強く要望された。ここで太子は摂政となることを受諾した。民人はこれを聞いて慈父母に逢ったようだと悦んだという。〜
天皇自身が「三顧の礼」を尽くすというカタチで摂政権力・施政権への敬意を表すことで、いかにも「和を以て貴しとなす」ということを示されたのだろうか。いかにも倭国・和国。

English version⬇

Japanese Structure of Power: The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures-16
The creation of a national structure that separates kingship and government, where harmony is the key to nobility, from an imperial dictatorship and a system of vassal disputes within power. Is this the wisdom of the Japanese people? The wisdom of the Japanese people.

The 16th article in the “Shotoku Taishi E biography” series of the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures is about the structure of the government by Emperor Suiko and Shotoku Taishi.

What makes Japanese history so different from both Chinese history and Korean history is the existence of the royal power of the emperor. Since the emergence of unified political power in the archipelago, it has remained at the core of national unity.
In China, the Yi Surname Revolution led to the violent overthrow of the previous dynasty, and the regime has continued to change over the years. On the Korean Peninsula, too, unified government is a rarity. Looking at the rest of the world, Japan’s power structure can be said to be very unique and exceptional. The power structure of the United Kingdom is a close approximation. The consideration for the Emperor’s family shown at the coronation ceremony of King Charles indicates this intention. Although the Meiji Era brought about a major transition to a European-style “emperor-type” power, from the perspective of ordinary Japanese history, the system from the Meiji era to the prewar period was more unique, and the “symbolic emperor system” that emerged after the defeat of the Occupation forces in World War II is more universal. In the chaos that followed the defeat, we can see how Japan tried to “protect the national polity” at the very last minute.
The power structure of Prince Shotoku’s time may be suggestive as the origin of such a sense of national identity.
The photo shows the “High Imperial Throne” in the Daigoku-den Hall of Heijo-kyo, which was restored in Nara. It is fresh in our memories that Emperor Imagami sat in this seat at the recent accession ceremony of 2025. In the reign of Prince Shotoku, Emperor Suiko ascended to the throne at the age of 22, and at the same time, Shotoku Taishi assumed office as “regent,” as recorded in the “Pictorial Biography.
The second illustration in the pictorial biography is from the Horyuji version donated to the Imperial Household and housed in the Horyuji Treasury. In this painting, Emperor Suiko is seated on a high throne, flanked by Prince Shotoku, who is seated at a higher level than the courtiers, facing the courtiers, who are slightly “nana-mae” in their posture. The courtiers are seated on wooden floorboards of different heights according to their ranks. Among them, Soga no Umako is depicted as he steps forward to receive the emperor’s imperial decree. In the “Tachibana-ji” version, the same arrangement is used, but Prince Shotoku is depicted in the front. The difference in the intention behind the composition is intriguing.
The following is an explanation (abstract) of the circumstances surrounding Prince Shotoku’s assumption of national government as regent, as given in the catalogue of the 1965 exhibition of the pictorial biography of Prince Shotoku at the Nara National Museum.
〜The Emperor ordered that the Prince should administer the affairs of state as regent. The Prince repeatedly insisted on the appointment on the grounds that he was not worthy of the position, but the Emperor refused and insisted on the appointment. The Taishi accepted the request to become regent. When the people heard this, they rejoiced as if they had met a loving mother and father. ~ The Emperor himself said, “I will give you three blessings.
By showing his respect for the regent’s power and administrative authority in the form of the Emperor’s own “three-part courtesy,” was the Emperor demonstrating how “harmony is the key to nobility”? This is very Japanese and Japanese-style.

Posted on 6月 14th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【山菜・野菜シーズン最盛期 in 北海道】




ここのところ東京国立博物館の法隆寺宝物館展示での聖徳太子絵伝の記事に集中していました。絵伝ということでわかりやすく、1000年の時を超え共有認識を得られることでちょっと過熱気味（笑）。
ということでクールダウンで本日は中休み。
６月も半ばになってきて北海道は天国に一番近い島状態。クルマで自然豊かな環境の中を走るのには最高の季節であります。そういう「野趣」を満喫させてくれるのが各地で露地物として出荷される山野菜類。
ことしは食習慣改善の取り組み、真剣に実践中なのでその食材として、アスパラ・フキ・ワラビなどから目が離せなくなっております。豊富な食物繊維摂取がいかに健康に大事か、身を以て知らされている。
カミさんもわたしと完全に同じような食習慣改善に取り組んでいるので、こういう食物繊維類の収集、それもなるべく新鮮で香り高いものをと各地をいっしょに走り回っている。
ことしは例年以上にヒグマの出没情報が多くなっているので、山菜類の捕獲には困難が伴っていると思われますが、各地の「道の駅」などでは毎週土日など、豊富に山積みされています。そのご苦労に感謝しつつ、購入させていただいています。
わが家の場合は、アスパラはシンプルに茹で上げて食し、その他の山菜はコンブ・鶏肉などでしっかり出汁を取った煮浸しとして基本食材化。ごはんを制限しているなかで、むしろ主食化しつつある。
でもそうすると自然からの贈り物なので、下処理作業が不可欠になります。

写真左はフキを適当な長さに切った後、板の上で塩を振って「板ずり」処理したあと後、茹で上げたフキから繊維スジを取った様子。一方、右側はアスパラの、ちょっと外側繊維が強烈な格安「ハネ品」（笑）でして、こちらはピューラーで外側を丹念に剥き上げたものの残骸の様子です。
どちらもホント、手間暇がかかるのですが、こういう作業に没頭するのもなかなかいい（笑）。その単調な作業に打ち込むことでいわゆる三昧のような没入感に満たされて、自然と向き合うようなそういった満足感に包まれる気がするのですね。
北海道の土の香り、山の空気感が凝縮された香りが身体感覚と共振するかのよう。
一方で旬の海のお魚さんたちも馴染みのお店で仕入れてきて、こちらも三枚下ろしさせてもらう。すっかり余市の新岡商店さんで見よう見まねさせていただいてから、週末の調理作業の定番化してきている。これまでは口に入れるしか縁がなかった魚さんたちをそのお姿を確認させていただいてから、謹んで解体させていただく。捌くという調理行為にはなにか、人間の本然を揺さぶるような部分を感じます。
なんともありがたい、天国にいちばん近い北海道の季節であります。

English version⬇

Wild vegetables and wild plants season is at its peak in Hokkaido.
The natural flavors of the mountains and fields are prepared with time and care. The simple preparation work is wrapped up in a feeling of “samadhi”. The key to improving eating habits is to consume natural wild vegetables and fiber. The best way to improve your eating habits is to consume natural wild vegetables and fiber.

Recently I have been concentrating on an article about the pictorial biography of Prince Shotoku in the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures exhibit at the Tokyo National Museum. The pictorial biography of Prince Shotoku is easy to understand, and the fact that it transcends 1,000 years of time and provides a shared recognition has made me a bit overheated (laugh).
So I’m taking a break today to cool down.
It is now mid-June and Hokkaido is the closest island to heaven. It is the best season to drive a car in a rich natural environment. Wild vegetables that are shipped from various regions are a great way to fully enjoy the “wildness” of Hokkaido.
As I am seriously implementing efforts to improve my eating habits this year, I cannot take my eyes off asparagus, butterbur, bracken, etc. as ingredients for such efforts. I am learning firsthand how important it is to consume plenty of dietary fiber for good health.
Since my wife has been working on the same kind of dietary habit improvement as I have, we have been running around together to collect such dietary fibers, especially fresh and aromatic ones.
This year, there have been more reports of brown bears than usual, so catching wild vegetables has been difficult, but at “roadside stations” around the country, there are piles of them every Saturday and Sunday. We are grateful for their efforts and purchase them.
In my family’s case, asparagus is simply boiled and eaten, and other wild vegetables are used as basic ingredients in a stewed soup made with kombu (kelp), chicken, and other vegetables in a broth. While we are limiting the amount of rice we eat, it is becoming more of a staple food.
But then, they are a gift from nature, so the preparation work becomes essential.

The photo on the left shows butterbur cut into appropriate lengths, then salted and “itazuri” processed on a board, and then the fibrous threads removed from the boiled butterbur. On the right is a cheap asparagus with a little bit of strong outer fibers (laugh).
Both of these are really time-consuming and labor intensive, but it is quite nice to be absorbed in this kind of work (laugh). By devoting yourself to this monotonous work, you are filled with a sense of immersion in what is called “samadhi,” and you feel a sense of satisfaction, as if you are facing nature.
The aroma of Hokkaido’s soil and condensed mountain air seems to resonate with your physical senses.
On the other hand, I also purchase seasonal fish from my favorite restaurant and have them cut into three pieces. Since I learned how to do this at Shinoka Shoten in Yoichi, it has become a regular part of my weekend cooking. I have never had the privilege of putting fish in my mouth before, but after I see what they look like, I respectfully dismantle them. I feel that the act of cooking shakes our true nature.
It is the season in Hokkaido that is the closest to heaven.

Posted on 6月 13th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: おとこの料理＆食 | No Comments »

【セリを摘む娘・聖徳太子の恋 法隆寺宝物館-15】




法隆寺宝物館「聖徳太子絵伝」記事、第15回目は聖徳太子27才の時の妻問い。ほぼ同時に世を去った愛妃「膳部菩岐々美郎女〜かしわで の ほききみのいらつめ」との出会い。このシリーズの第一回はこちら→端正なモダニズム「法隆寺宝物館」探訪。

この６−７世紀の飛鳥時代で27才での妻問いというのはやや「奥手」かと思う。聖徳太子自身も50才で死去しているので、王族であることも考えればこの女性以外にも妃はいただろう。３人、妃はいたとされているので、その中で最後に見初めた存在がこの女性だったのだろうか。この絵伝が忠実に準拠したと言われる917年成立の「聖徳太子伝暦」には「此の人は頗る合ぐ」という記述があるように、オシドリのように相思相愛だったという。
ついには太子が死ぬ前日に亡くなり、死ぬときはいっしょにとまで添い遂げた存在とされる。
膳部という氏族出身者で、膳村の近くに行幸されたときに、道端で野草のセリを摘んでいた３人の娘がいた。そのうちの２人は太子の行啓を知ると走り寄って奉迎したが、残る一人は顔も上げずにセリを積むばかりだった。太子は不審に思われて従者にその理由を問わせると「わたしは赤子の時にこの村の老女に拾われて育てられました。きょうはこの春はじめてセリ摘みに来ました。なるべく多くのセリを摘んで少しでも養育の恩に報いたく、太子をお迎えする余裕がございません」と言った。
太子はこの話を聞いてこころに留められ、娘を近くに召されてご覧になると、その麗質は玉のようで深くこころに恋情を抱かれた。ついにその娘を妃として迎えるべく、その夜、娘の家を訪ねることを約された。妻問婚。
村人たちは半信半疑だったというが、遅くなったけれど太子はこの娘宅を訪れ３日にわたって歓談されて、その後、輿を整えて娘を宮中に迎えられた。
太子とこの愛妃には四男四女ができたというから男女の相性も抜群だったのだろう。太子は「死後は共に埋葬されよう」と言ったと伝えられる。622年聖徳太子と共に病となり、太子が亡くなる前日に没した。聖徳太子の墓所である磯長陵（しながりょう）に合葬された。
膳という部民出身であり、膳氏は朝廷の食事を司る存在だったとされる。彼女がセリを摘んでいたのもそういう氏族としての当然の行為だったのだろう。膳氏は膳所など畿内周辺に地名としても残っている。
こういう男女としての愛情生活、そして動物への愛護のこころなど、聖徳太子という人物の傾向がうかがえてくる逸話だと思う。この女性が余念なくセリ摘みに打ち込んでいる様子に「惹かれ」たり、国内外から動物を贈られることが多かった事実を重ねたりしてみると、かれの内面のある部分が見えてくると思う。単純に言えば「まっすぐなるもの」への愛がポイントなのではないか。
その後の日本史が聖徳太子の個性を愛し続けたひとつのカギであるのかも知れない。

English version⬇

The Love of Prince Shotoku, the Daughter Picking Seri, The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures-15]
This work conveys the character of Prince Shotoku, who loved animals and honesty and frankness in his love affairs with men and women. The smiling love between a man and a woman lasted until his grave. …

The 15th article in the “Shotoku Taishi Pictorial Biography” series from the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures is about Shotoku Taishi’s wife questioning him when he was 27 years old. The 15th article in the “Shotoku Taishi Pictorial Biography” series, published by the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures, is about his encounter with his beloved wife, Kashiwade no Hokikiminoiratsume, who passed away at about the same time as Shotoku Taishi.

I think it is a bit “reserved” to ask for a wife at the age of 27 in the Asuka period of the 6th-7th century. Since Prince Shotoku himself died at the age of 50, there must have been other wives besides this woman, considering that he was royalty. The “Shotoku Taishi Denryaku,” which is said to be based on this pictorial biography, states that “this person was very compatible with each other like a mandarin duck,” as in the description “This person is very compatible.
It is said that they were as affectionate as mandarin ducks, and that they even died together the day before the death of the prince.
He was from a clan called Zenbu, and when he went to a place near Zen village, there were three daughters who were picking wild parsley by the roadside. Two of them ran to greet the Taishi when they learned of his visit, but the remaining one simply piled up the parsley without looking up. The Taishi became suspicious and asked the attendant why he was there. Today is the first time this spring that I have come to pick parsnips. I want to repay her for her kindness by picking as many parsnips as I can.
When the prince heard this story, he was deeply moved by her beauty and fell deeply in love with her. He promised to visit the daughter’s home that night in order to take her as his wife. Wife-questioning marriage.
The villagers were skeptical, but the Taishi visited the daughter’s home and spent three days talking with her, even though it was late, and then he arranged a carriage and welcomed her into the palace.
The prince and his wife had four sons and four daughters, so it is said that they must have been an excellent match. In 622, she became ill with Prince Shotoku and died the day before his death. He was buried in Isonaga-ryo, the grave site of Prince Shotoku.
She was from a tribe called Zen, and it is said that the Zen clan was in charge of the food of the imperial court. It is likely that her picking parsley was a natural part of her duties as a member of such a clan. The name “Zen” also remains as a place name in the Kinai region, such as Zensho.
This anecdote reveals the character of Prince Shotoku in his affectionate life as a man and a woman, and in his love for animals. If we are “attracted” to the woman’s devotedness to picking cherries, or if we compare it with the fact that he often received gifts of animals from home and abroad, we can see a certain part of his inner life. Simply put, his love for the “straight and narrow” is the key point.
This may be one of the keys to the continued love of Prince Shotoku’s individuality in subsequent Japanese history.

Posted on 6月 12th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【鉄をめぐる資源外交・新羅征伐 法隆寺宝物館-14】




法隆寺宝物館「聖徳太子絵伝」記事、第14回目は聖徳太子の生きた時代の東アジア情勢と新羅との戦争について。このシリーズの第一回はこちら→端正なモダニズム「法隆寺宝物館」探訪。

聖徳太子が生きた時代（572-622年）は、中国大陸では対外的に強勢的な隋が建国（581年）そしてそれが短期間で滅亡する（619年）時代にあたっている。そして朝鮮半島では、576年当時、図のように３カ国の鼎立状態・いわゆる三韓時代に相当している。
そういう時代背景のなかで日本は畿内と北九州地域を結ぶ中心地域でようやく「中央政権」が確立していた段階。東アジア地域から土地を求めて移民が押し寄せていた時代だった。一例として中国大陸に成立し滅亡した「秦」の末裔が「秦氏」として日本各地に地名痕跡が存在している。
そして大量の人口を養いうる生産手段としての水田農耕が拡大し、その管理統御が政権の基本的な成立基盤だったことだろう。水田農耕の推進には水田を土木造作して水利を確保し、さらに田植え、稲刈りなどの農作業の集団管理が不可欠だった。巫女のように田植えの時期を明示指示することが絶対に必要。卑弥呼の存在意義か。
必然的に中国大陸で生産が旺盛になった「鉄器」が最重要戦略物資であって、それはまだ日本国内生産が十分ではなく、ひたすら朝鮮半島からの輸入に依存していた。
朝鮮半島では釜山の福泉洞古墳群などで4世紀の中ごろに「鉄てい」という両端が幅広になった長方形の鉄板が出現。鉄ていはいろいろな鉄製品を作る素材。4世紀末には日本にも輸入されている。日本にもたらされた鉄ていの多くは、朝鮮半島南部で作られたと推定される。これらのいわば産業革命の背後には朝鮮半島からの技術者集団の渡来があったことは間違いない。この時期に朝鮮半島地域との政治的な関与が大きいのはそうした事情。
こういった背景の中にあって聖徳太子はいわば「開明派」として積極的に仏教を導入し、海外との外交関係強化に努めていた。そしてとくに重要な朝鮮半島地域との外交に精力を傾けていたと言える。
外交方針については当時も今も変わらずに政権基盤と関わっていて、国内政治上の対立としてもあった。聖徳太子は反新羅の姿勢を鮮明にし、とくに百済との関係を強化していったと思われる。
２枚目の聖徳太子絵伝中の絵は、新羅の間諜を捕らえて尋問している様子。任那日本府という朝鮮半島での日本の国益の足場が新羅によって滅亡させられるなどの緊張状態が続く中で、こういったスパイ戦や、緊張の沸騰点として「新羅征伐（600年）」も発生した。３枚目の絵伝の絵は海軍船舶による攻撃の様子。
仏教の導入政策は、こういった外交情勢も背景的事情として国策化していった。ヤマト王権として政権基盤を固めるために利用されたとも言えるのだと思う。聖徳太子の現実政治家としての側面でもあるのだろう。

English version⬇

Resource Diplomacy Concerning Iron and the Conquest of Silla: The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures-14
Stabilization of iron imports, essential for rice production, was the foundation of the regime. Understanding the situation on the Korean peninsula and getting involved was an extremely important diplomatic theme for Japan at the time.

The fourteenth article in the Horyuji Treasury “Shotoku Taishi E biography” series discusses the situation in East Asia during Shotoku Taishi’s lifetime and his war with Silla.

The period in which Prince Shotoku lived (572-622) corresponds to the period in which the powerful Sui Dynasty (581) was founded in mainland China and was destroyed in a short period of time (619). On the Korean peninsula, the year 576 corresponded to the so-called Three Hans Period, when three countries were in a state of triumph, as shown in the figure.
Against this background, Japan was at the stage of finally establishing a central government in the central region connecting the Kinai and Kitakyushu regions. It was a time when immigrants were pouring in from East Asia in search of land. As an example, the descendants of the “Qin” clan, which was established and destroyed on the Chinese continent, are known as the “Hata” clan, and their place names and traces exist in various parts of Japan.
Paddy field agriculture expanded as a means of production that could feed a large population, and its management and control was probably the basic foundation for the establishment of the regime. In order to promote paddy field agriculture, it was essential to secure water supply by constructing paddy fields, and to collectively manage rice planting, harvesting, and other farming activities. It is absolutely necessary to give explicit instructions on the timing of rice planting like a shrine maiden. The significance of Himiko’s existence?
Inevitably, the most important strategic commodity was “ironware,” which was produced vigorously on the Chinese mainland, but which was not yet sufficiently produced in Japan, and was solely dependent on imports from the Korean Peninsula.
On the Korean Peninsula, rectangular iron plates with wide ends called “tetsutei” appeared in the middle of the 4th century at the Bokcheondong burial mounds in Busan and other sites. Tetsutei were imported to Japan at the end of the 4th century. It is estimated that most of the tetsutei brought to Japan were made in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. There is no doubt that a group of engineers from the Korean Peninsula came to Japan behind these so-called industrial revolutions. This is the reason why political involvement with the Korean Peninsula was so important during this period.
Against this backdrop, Prince Shotoku actively introduced Buddhism as an “open-minded” leader and made efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations with foreign countries. In particular, he devoted his energies to diplomacy with the Korean Peninsula, which was an important region.
His foreign policy was then, as it is now, related to his regime base, and it was also a domestic political conflict. It is thought that Prince Shotoku made his anti-Silla stance clear and strengthened his relationship with Baekje in particular.
The second picture in the Shotoku Taishi Pictorial Biography shows Prince Shotoku capturing and interrogating a Silla counterintelligence officer. The third picture in the pictorial biography shows an attack by naval vessels.
The policy of introducing Buddhism became a national policy in the context of these diplomatic developments. I think it can be said that the Yamato kingdom used this policy to consolidate its political base. This may be the aspect of Prince Shotoku as a real politician.

Posted on 6月 11th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【聖徳太子、鞍作止利に「丈六仏」を造らせる 法隆寺宝物館-13】



法隆寺宝物館「聖徳太子絵伝」記事、第13回目は飛鳥大仏の制作者・鞍作止利と国家寺院建築の発注者・聖徳太子の機縁について。このシリーズの第一回はこちら→端正なモダニズム「法隆寺宝物館」探訪。

聖徳太子絵伝について掘り下げて見てみてようやく鞍作止利と聖徳太子の直接的な場面と遭遇できた。絵伝探索の迷路の中で発見できた明瞭な図柄。このシリーズ３回目で紹介した記事【聖徳太子がモデル？仏像２体 法隆寺宝物館-3】の増補版でもあります。
上の写真はわたしが飛鳥周辺を散策するようになった最大の吸引力である飛鳥寺の大仏さん。この日本最初期の仏像の制作者が鞍作止利さんで、その作風がいかにもこころに響いてきたのです。その作リ手と聖徳太子との縁起が絵伝のワンシーンとして表現されているのですね。学究ではない凡百の身としては仏教導入最初期の日本社会の空気感に対して確信を持つのに十分と、一種のカタルシスを得られた（笑）。
２枚目の絵では右側に端座する聖徳太子が側近と談笑している。一方、左の別室では止利仏師とおぼしき人物と協力者が仏像の構想模型制作に取り組んでいる様子。丈六仏とは4.8mほどの大きさの「大仏」であり、この絵で表現されているのは、その構想モチーフを人間サイズで表現した試作品・雛形だったと想像できる。発注責任者である聖徳太子はその雛形をもとに作者の鞍作止利と、細部にわたっての綿密な打合せを重ねていた様子なのでしょう。太子の表情がきのう見た動物へのやさしい視線にも似てやわらかく感じる。数寄だったのではないか。
そして仏師の衣類には「異国風の衣装」の特徴があると、1965年奈良国立博物館での「聖徳太子絵伝展」での図録のなかで解説されている。博物館学芸員の専門的な意見として説得力を感じる。仏教導入というものがどんな社会背景であったのか、そのリアリティが伝わってくる。


一方でこの丈六仏を安置する寺院、のちに移転して奈良・元興寺となる飛鳥寺の建築風景も活写されている。この絵からは礎石は使われず、柱は土中に埋め込む掘立工法だったように見える。クギが多用されない「木組み」工法の時代の建築手法の手掛かり。先日紹介した「工人」木造大工職人さんたちの現場労働風景でしょう。
飛鳥寺の創建譚では仏師が作った丈六の大仏をこの建物に入れる段になって、寸法の相互連絡が不足していて「中に入れられません」という建築事故が発生したと伝えられている。それを鞍作止利は絶妙の機転を利かせて解決、問題突破したと言われている。＜しかしどうやったの？という方法は伝わっていない（笑）＞
また奈良朝のころの絵には大工さんが烏帽子をかぶっているのが多く見られるけれど、これも当時、外来の建築文化ファッションであったとも言われる。こういう部分も掘り下げて見ると面白そうですね。
時空を超える飛鳥の時代のものづくりの様子。共感を持ってその空気感が迫ってくる（笑）。

English version⬇

Shotoku Taishi had Kurusaku Tadatoshi create the Jorokubutsu (Jorokubutsu).
A meeting with the creator of the Jorokbutsu, which can be assumed to be the Great Buddha of Asuka, at the time of its creation. Construction site. Report on Asuka’s “monozukuri” site. ・・・・.

The thirteenth article in the “Shotoku Taishi Era Biography” series from the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures discusses the relationship between Kuramatsuki-Tsumari, the creator of the Asuka Great Buddha, and Shotoku Taishi, who ordered the construction of the national temples.

After delving into the pictorial biography of Prince Shotoku, I finally encountered a direct scene between Kurusaku Toritoshi and Prince Shotoku. A clear pattern found in the maze of pictorial biography search. In the third article in this series [Modeled after Shotoku Taishi? Two Buddhist statues: The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures-3].
The photo above is of the Great Buddha of Asukadera Temple, the biggest draw for me to explore the Asuka area. The creator of this first Buddhist statue in Japan was Mr. Toritoshi Kuramasaku, and the style of his work really resonated with me. The connection between the creator and Prince Shotoku is expressed in a scene from the pictorial biography. As an ordinary person who is not a scholar, I felt cathartic enough to be convinced of the atmosphere of Japanese society at the time when Buddhism was first introduced (laugh).
In the second picture, Prince Shotoku is seated on the right side, chatting with his entourage, while in another room on the left, a person who appears to be a Buddhist priest and his collaborators are working on the ancestral model of a Buddhist statue. The Jorokubutsu is a 4.8-meter statue of the Great Buddha, and we can imagine that what is depicted in this painting is a human-sized prototype or model of the motif that was conceived. It is likely that Prince Shotoku, who was in charge of placing the order, had detailed discussions with the artist, Kuramasaku Tomotoshi, based on the prototype. The expression on Prince Shotoku’s face is soft, similar to the gentle gaze toward animals we saw yesterday. It must have been a sukiyomi.
And the clothing of the Buddhist priests has the characteristics of “exotic costumes,” as explained in the catalogue of the 1965 exhibition of the pictorial biography of Prince Shotoku at the Nara National Museum. I find this a convincing professional opinion from a museum curator. It conveys the reality of the social background of the introduction of Buddhism.

On the other hand, the picture also shows the construction of Asukadera Temple, where the Jorokubutsu was enshrined, and which was later relocated to become Gankoji Temple in Nara. This painting shows that foundation stones were not used and that the pillars were dug into the ground. This is a clue to the architectural technique of the “wooden frame” method of construction, in which nails were not used extensively. This is probably a scene of wooden carpenters, such as the “Koujin” (artisans) introduced the other day, at work.
In the story of the founding of Asukadera Temple, it is said that when the time came to put the Joroku Buddha, which was made by a Buddhist priest, into this building, there was a construction accident because of a lack of intercommunication between the dimensions of the Buddha and the building. It is said that Kurusaku Tadatoshi solved the problem with his exquisite ingenuity and overcame the problem. ＜But how did he do it? The method of how he did it has not been handed down.
In paintings from the Nara period (710-794), carpenters can be seen wearing crow-shaped hats, which is said to have been a foreign architectural cultural fashion at the time. It would be interesting to delve deeper into this aspect of the art.
The scene of manufacturing in the Asuka period transcends time and space. The atmosphere of the time comes to me with sympathy (laughs).

Posted on 6月 10th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅取材＆ウラ話, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

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