GALLERY 4

Slices of life from a variety of living spaces, such as the city, the agricultural village, the mountain village, the fishing village and the Southern Islands, are represented here under the rubric of "The World of Japanese Folk Customs and Beliefs", which includes the world of the spirit. Methods of communication between this world and the afterlife are also presented. This gallery describes the folk world of Japan by using many historical materials supplemented by life-size replicas.

The city is a place where many people from different families and backgrounds live side by side. Why are so many people in Japan today attracted to such an urban life? With what wishes, desires, and dreams do people gather in the city? How do the lives of people today resemble or differ from the lives of urban dwellers in earlier times? This display introduces folk customs through the contexts of festivals and rituals at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.


Replica of a Buddhist sculpture (Mizukake Fudo) at Hozenji Temple	Replica of Kasamori Inari Daimyojin Shrine	A corner of the gallery
This display of a life-size replica of the Buddhist deity Fudo Myo-o, (one of the Kings of Wisdom) at Hozenji in the Yokocho district of Osaka represents one of the most popular urban gathering spots Japan. Its folk history is well known through novels and songs.	Despite the semblance of rationality and newness in today's urban life, there are many anxieties and conflicts. People continue to seek protection and salvation by praying to Shinto and Buddhist divinities. This may seem old-fashioned at first glance, but such religious beliefs quietly live on in an urban life constantly affected by dazzling fashions and rapid transformations.	Various aspects of urban life in Japan are introduced in panels and other visual aids. The legendary figure of Toka Ebisu can be seen in the foreground.

From the Yayoi period until quite recently, rice agriculture was the principal activity on farms. Rice cultivation demands intensive human labor, so a set of rules and controls for cooperation and mutual assistance developed among farmers. This display offers a glimpse of life in the agricultural village.


Entrance to the gallery	Kashimasama	The village rite called Aenokoto
At the center of the gallery can be seen Toshigamisama and a straw bag of seeds.	This straw guardian, thought to have magical power, is displayed at the village borders to protect the village from intrusion by evil spirits or dangerous persons.	This ceremonial event appeals to the rice spirit to grant prosperity to village families.

People living in the mountains developed unique folk customs and occupations based on the use of their rich surrounding natural resources and the demand to supply agricultural villages and towns with materials. This display introduces the slash-and-burn method of agriculture used in some mountain villages, and the lives of lumberjacks and hunters, as well as the spiritual life of mountain villagers.


The slash-and-burn method agriculture	Hunting tools	Mountain demons
Mountain villagers grew millet, foxtail millet, and other grains using the slash-and-burn method.	Mountain hunters (matagi) of bear and deer were widely active in Japan, especially in the northeastern region.	This display introduces various supernatural creatures, such as the long-nosed goblin known as tengu, the mountain witch (yamanba), and mountain spirits.

A profound connection between the sea and inhabitants of Japan is suggested even in the ancient legend of the Fisherman God called Umisachihiko. For those who depend on fishing for their livelihood, the sea is both something to be admired, as well as feared. Observe the variety of life of people in fishing villages.


A bonito fishing boat	A sculpture of Ebisu (one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune also considered a divinity of the sea)	Replica of a fishing boat dock
This is the fishing boat called Ryu-o-maru from Shimizu City, Kochi Prefecture.	Fishermen have long prayed to this divinity for great catches.	The boat in the center is called Tomoputo.

The Southern Islands are the small islands south of Japan scattered over more than 1,000 km in the Pacific Ocean from Okinoshima Island and Tanegashima Island southward through the Tokara archipelago, Amami islands, and Okinawa islands to the Yaeyama archipelago. Long ago, these islands served as passage ways through which culture from the south was introduced to Japan. The people of these islands formed a unique folk culture influenced by both China and the main islands of Japan.


Shisa and Ishiganto	A video presentation of a festival for the Ocean God called Unjamiashibi on Kourishima Island
The deity Shisa was believed to protect the village. Ishiganto was a magic stone which repelled evil spirits.	The Ocean God is traditionally welcomed to Kourishima Island with this festival.

The concept of life after death and the realm of "the other world" or afterlife (takai) are fundamental beliefs in Japanese folk tradition. There were thought to be three kinds of other worlds: the Heavens, the Mountains, and the Ocean. How were they conceived? How was communication between the world of the living and these worlds of the afterlife ritualistically expressed by festival floats (dashi), portable shrines (mikoshi), folk theatre and folk arts? These questions are answered in this gallery.


Replica of Junteido at Risshakuji Temple	Folk art masks	The Ocean of Afterlife
It is believed that a divine spirit resides in this mountain and that the spirits of the dead climb up this mountain to join the spirit.	These masks symbolize Japanese spirits and religious beliefs. They are classified into four types representing humans, Shinto or Buddhist divinities, genies, and animals.	This display shows the various ways it was believed voyages were made to the other world of the Ocean. From front to back can be seen models of a kashima boat, doll floats, and a spirit boat.