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Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1992 19/1 On the Gender of Shrines and the Daijosai
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@MISC{Mayer_japanesejournal,
author = {Adrian C. Mayer},
title = {Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1992 19/1 On the Gender of Shrines and the Daijosai},
year = {}
}
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Abstract
Of all the ceremonies of succession in which the emperor of Japan takes part, it is the sequence of rituals known as the daijosai 大嘗 祭 that has ex cited the greatest interest from scholars and commentators. Following a ceremony of accession (senso 践 祚 ) held shortly after the demise of the previous emperor, and then an enthronement (sokui rei 即位ネし）after the period of mourning, the daijosai now provides the final phase in the in stallation of the new monarch.1 Not only is its performance a matter of public controversy because it relates to questions about the emperor’s divinity and hence to political debate, and because it is an undeniably Shinto ceremony in a polity that holds Shinto rites to be incompatible with the emperor’s position; it is also academically controversial since its meaning is the subject of widely differing interpretations. In this article I wish to contribute further to the problem of interpretation by bringing forward a fact about the physical setting that has, I believe, hitherto es caped notice. Let me explain.2 Daijosai has been translated as “Great New Food Festival. ” The central ritual is the bringing of (inter alia) boiled and steamed rice and rice wine to two halls within a sacred compound (Daijoeu 大嘗宮）. These are then offered to the kami and then, after a solemn dedication, partaken of by the emperor. The rice and wine offered in each hall derive from grain grown in different fields (regions) during the past year. The fields are entitled yuki 悠 紀 and suki 主 基 ，and the halls are therefore called the Yukiden 悠紀 殿 and the Sukiden 主基 殿. The ritual is held first in the 1 The daijosai is now seen as an integral part of the imperial succession, though this was not always the case (see, e.g., Mayer 1990, p. 11), 2 The main material on which this article is based was gathered during a 3-month stay in Japan in 1987-1988, with the generous support of the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Keyphrases
japanese journal religious study generous support main material different field political debate 3-month stay previous emperor past year emperor divinity rice wine emperor position integral part solemn dedication sokui rei hall derive sacred compound physical setting central ritual new monarch shinto rite great new food festival japan society public controversy imperial succession final phase hitherto e shinto ceremony inter alia
