Collaborative Research
Statements and Practices Regarding Body and Character
| Type of Research | Specific Research |
|---|---|
| Project Title | Statements and Practices Regarding Body and Character |
| Head of the Research Team | YAMADA Shinya |
| Research Period | 2006–2008 |
| Research Team |
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| Purpose | The purpose of this research is to analyze an embodiment which has yet to attract attention by embracing the diversified discourses and practices made in connection with the human personality and to study historical transitions and folkloric diversity based upon folkloric research, documents and painting materials. A human being is a social existence and its personality is expressed thorough the body and understood by other humans. This means that the body is a physical substance but it cannot be resolved in a manner similar to other physical substances and it cannot be easily separated from the personality. Along with the evolution of biotechnology, the physical manipulations of the body, such as organ transplantation and the culturing of human embryonic stem cells, have become familiar, however the morality of this kind of physical manipulation is frequently questioned. One reason why the morality of these practices is questioned comes from the conception that the body is an existence which takes on the personality and these physical manipulations may evoke a fundamental problem for human–beings. Problems concerning the body and the personality have not suddenly arisen in the field of modern medicine, but have existed from long ago within the process of our lives, for example, birth and death, or possession phenomenon. They used to be analyzed in terms of the relationship between the soul and body. However the soul speaks and expresses itself through the form of the body it has taken and it cannot be easily separated from the body. In modern society, people believe less in the soul and it is also difficult to understand contemporary phenomena through belief in the soul. However if we switch the term soul to personality in the setting of birth and death, it will be easier to understand the relationship between the living and dead. Therefore we can use the accumulated results of traditional research in order to study methods for applying it to modern society. In this research, we hope to reexamine these problems, each of which was formerly attempted to be solved individually, by focusing on the physical image as reflected by the personality in the routines of daily life and we hope to comprehensively discuss modern medicine, shamanism and views on life from diversified academic points of view such as folklore, history, cultural anthropology and social science. |
2008
Progress
The tenth workshop was held from June 21 to 22. The main Presenters were Kiyoshi Kanebishi and Ryo Hamao. We discussed methods for summarizing this research.
The eleventh workshop was held from October 11th to 13, 2008 with fieldwork conducted cooperatively with the Kesennuma division of the alumni organization of Tohoku University in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture and its surrounding areas. After the workshop at the Rias Ark Museum of Art, Kesennuma City, we studied the popular and folk religions on the Karakuwa Peninsula. In order to share the results of our research, we held a mini symposium at the Kesennuma Civic Center.
The twelfth workshop was held on November 8, 2008 at Keio University cooperatively with its Laboratory of Anthropology. The main Presenters were Toshiharu Abe and Morihiro Satow. We had many participants from Keio University as well as other institutions.
The thirteenth workshop was held from December 13 to 14 at the National Museum of Japanese History. The main Presenters were Yoshifumi Ueno and Reiji Iwabuchi. We discussed methods for writing research reports.
Result
From those aspects which had not been observed during the past two years, we studied the historical and cultural conditions of the personality image and its existence. For example, we conducted discussions on the following wide–ranging topics: social conflicts and their solutions through the impersonation of objects by citing the example of the airport; the relationship between personal image and folk beliefs by citing the example of the shadow; and the personality image via its visualization and embodiment in the portrait of a deceased person from the point of view of art history. Following on from last year, we continued studying methods for dealing with the personality image and the body between before and after death. Our research notes the need to again reconsider the relationship between the view point of the human being and its body as portrayed in the arts and social sciences. It also notes the importance of considering the problem from diversified fields, such as the social and medical anthropological, as well as the historical fields, in order to stimulate discussion among these fields. All of the research members agreed to prepare reports which focused on sharing the importance and necessity of this
2007
Progress
The sixth workshop was held from May 12th to 13th at the National Museum of Japanese History. The main Presenters were Akio Tanigawa, Mitsuo Kinoshita and Touji Tanaka.
The seventh workshop was held on June 23 cooperatively with Gendai Iryo Kenkyukai at Waseda University, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. The main Presenters were Shinya Yamada, Yorimitsu Ooka and Yoshimasa Ikegami.
The eighth workshop was held from November 23 to the 26 including fieldwork conducted from November 23 to the 24 on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. The main Presenters were Michiya Iwamoto, Kiyoshi Umeya and Shinya Yamada. We investigated the cemeteries and religious institutions in the area from Uchikaifu to Sotokaifu, on the Kuninaka Plain and in the Ogi area.
Result
As stated above, we mainly focused on the historical and cultural conditions of the personality image and its existence expressed through death. We were able to conclude from the presentations made by each research member that between the times before and after death the body significantly changes and so does the personality. And we learnt that we need to conduct analysis from social and medical anthropological aspects in order to stimulate the discussion. We continued studying the gap between the discourse and practice of personality as we did last year. As the next year is the final year for our research, we are heading towards the conclusion of our research.
2006
Progress
The first workshop was held on June 17 and 18 at the National Museum of Japanese History. After the talk entitled "General Introduction to this Cooperative Research Project" given by Shinya Yamada, the head of the research team, the respective subjects of this cooperative research project were announced. Both presenters, Katsuya Miyashita and Kiyoshi Umeya, gave reports on the personality and body from legal, social and anthropological views. After each of the other members from the diversified fields gave introduction of thier research, we carried out a discussion of the research policies from that point on.
The second workshop was held cooperatively with the Department of Religious Studies of Tohoku University in Mutsu City in Aoyama Prefecture from July 22 to the 25. We carried out fieldwork on Osore Mountain and had a discussion concerning the relationship between death rituals and the body image. After the Great Festival on Osore Mountain held at dawn of the 23, we undertook fieldwork at religious institutions, such as Terako, and cemeteries on the Shimokita Peninsula. On the following day, we held presentations given by Junichi Koike and Iwayumi Suzuki, the members from the Department of Religious Studies of Tohoku University and comments from Yoshimasa Ikegami. After these presentations and comments, we had a meaningful discussion concerning death rituals and the body image.
The third workshop was held from November 18 to 19 at the National Museum of Japanese History. Presentations were given by Hiroshi Doi, Noriko Tahara and Kokyo Murakami.
The fourth workshop was held cooperatively with Gendai Iryo Kenkyukai (a research group on modern medical care) from December 16 to 17 at the National Museum of Japanese History. Presentations were given by Akira Deguchi, Sachiyo Ukigaya and Hiroko Kawazoe. The main focus of our study was the relationship between modern medical care and the personality.
For the fifth workshop held on February 24, 2007, we visited Arakawa Furusato Museum and conducted fieldwork. We also participated in the Edo Tokyo Forum sponsored by the Housing Research Foundation with the commentator Hiroshi Doi.
Result
We developed a common awareness of the following issues: the alteration of personality due to changes in body conditions; the relationship between witch craft and personality; and the personality in the modern medical care. We have learnt that we need to be aware that there is a gap which lies between the discourse and the practice concerning personality and we need to continue our research by taking into consideration the existence of such a gap.
On February 3, 2007, the National Museum of Japanese History held a visual forum "Modern Funeral Rites" at Tsuda Hall in Tokyo. Our research team participated in this forum and our cooperative researchers Kokyo Murakami, Hiroshi Doi and Shinya Yamada gave presentations on modern funerals and cemeteries, as well as the evolution of images of death.
