Basic Research on the Development and Formation of Folk Studies in Japan

Type of Research	個別共同研究
Project Title	Basic Research on the Development and Formation of Folk Studies in Japan
Head of the Research Team	Koike Junichi
Research Period	2004–2006
Research Team	KAWADA Makito (Chukyo University) KAWAMURA Kiyoshi (Sapporo University) KAN Jun (Josai International University) KIKUCHI Akira (Kyoto University) SATO Kenji (Tokyo University) SHIGENOBU Yukihiko (The University of Kitakyushu) TSURUMI Tarou (Waseda University) TOTSUKA Hiromi MANABE Masayoshi (Osaka University) YAMADA Toshiko (Hirosaki University) WADA Takeshi (Center for International Research and Education) TANAKA Masaaki (Nishogakusha University) KURUSHIMA Hiroshi YASUDA Tsuneo MATSUO Kouichi UENO Kazuo TSUNEMITSU Toru YAMADA Shinya
Purpose	We will describe the shaping and development of folk studies in Japan, by replacing the basic concepts and terms into various contexts of modern Japanese society. Also, we will reconsider people and groups who have worked on folk studies in Japan from ideological and methodological aspects. Noting the validity and limit of folk studies in modern Japan, we will search for research themes which will benefit from further development in folk studies. Folk studies, which play a role in the collaboration of three academic fields in historical research, have undergone a unique history that they have developed being based in institutes as universities. In this cooperative research, we will consider the issue from several viewpoints, and acknowledge the basic function of the NMJH of integrating research as a museum, by broadly researching history and displaying the results. By reconsidering the basic materials shaping folk studies, and people and groups which have contributed to the study, and positioning them in academic history and by searching for new themes in folk studies, this research may be regarded to as a reconsideration of the direction of folk studies. Especially, when considering renewal plan for Gallery 4, it is important to acknowledge the specialty of ethnology and the necessity for its development in modern Japan. This is part of conducting integrated research as a museum, by thinking deeply about displays, their academic backgrounds, and implementing the museum’s core principles.

2006

Progress

1st workshop : May 27–28 Venue : NMJH
YAMASHITA Kinichi (Guest speaker) UENO Kazuo YASUMURO Satoru (Guest speaker)
2nd workshop : June 10–11 Venue : Sapporo University
MANABE Masayoshi KIKUCHI Akira
3rd workshop : July 29–30 Venue : NMJH
IIKURA Shohei (Guest speaker) MUROI Kousei (Guest speaker) KAWATA Makito
4th workshop : March 10–11 Venue : NMJH
KOIKE Junichi Comprehensive discussion for reporting results

Result

We opened all workshops to the public, and other students in addition to students from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies attended them. We also conveyed information to each workshop, and promoted their attendance. As for 1st–3rd workshops, we believ we had considerable success. We are also planning to organize an NMJH Forum "The Future of Folk Studies" (December 1 (Saturday)).

2005

Progress

We organized five workshops, and in three workshops we added the visitation of actual locations or held them together with local workshops. In this year, we invited guest speakers, and they gave speeches on the development of ethnographic research, and advice for future. Also, we would like to note that throught the confirmation of the documents, we managed to deepen the research theme.

1st workshop : May 28 and 29 Venue : National Museum of Japanese History
YAMADA Itsuko YAMADA Shinya Comment ：SHINOHARA Toru
2nd workshop : July 30 and 31
Venue: Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University (organized together with Yanagita Kunio no Kai) KATO Hidetoshi (Guest speaker) KIKUCHI Akira DOI Hiroshi (Guest speaker) TSURUMI Tsurumi HAYASHI Jun (Guest speaker)
3rd workshop : September 23–25
Venue: Yuzuru no Sato Musuem, Nanyo-shi, Yamagata TOTSUKA Hiromi SASAKI Tatsuji (Guest speaker) TSUNEMITSU Toru TAKEDA Tadasi (Guest speaker)
4th workshop : November 19 and 20
Venue: National Museum of Japanese History KOIKE Junichi KURUSHIMA Hiroshi Kan Jun TANAKA Masaaki
5th workshop : December 25 and 26
Venue: Aichi Prefectural University, Satellite Campus KOIKE Junichi INOUE Soichiro (Guest speaker) WADA Takeshi

Result

The reports of 2nd workshop in this year appear in "Yanagita Kunio Kenkyuronshu" 4 (published in December 2005) by Yanagita Kunio no Kai.

2004

Progress

We organized three workshops, and in two workshops we added the visitation of actual locations. We also made the workshop in Tono open to public, requested the attendance of the local researchers for reciprocal recognition and deepening the discussion.

1st workshop : August 28 and 29
Venue : National Museum of Japanese History KOIKE Junichi YUKIHIKO Shigenobu Comment ：SHINOHARA Toru
2nd workshop : October 17 and 18
Venue: Tono Kura-no-michi Gallery, Tono Municipal Musuem Kan Jun KOIKE Junichi
3rd workshop : December 26 and 27
Venue: KKR Shirahama Mihamaso, Minakata Kumagusu Museum KAWAMURA Kiyoshi SATO Kenji

Result

As this is the first year of the research project, we did not make actual presentations of the results, but we organized the 2nd workshop at Tono as an open workshop, and many local researchers attended it.

List of Collaborative Research