Kanjo Nawa

Kanjo Nawa (Japanese: 勧請縄) is a Japanese custom of stretching shimenawa, a variety of laid rope, with fetishes hung at the border of a village. Michi Kiri(道切り) is just a similar custom. The term Kanjo Nawa also refers to the rope itself.

In rural area around Japan, there remains the custom of enshrining the items such as ropes of straw and grass, dolls, and straw sandals at the border of the village intended to prevent the evil such as an epidemic from entering the village, or to drive out the evil.[1][2][3][4]

The custom called Kanjo Nawa can be found around Kinki Region, especially in Wakasa, Fukui Prefecture, in the east and south of Shiga Prefecture, in Iga, Mie Prefecture, in the east mountainous region of Nara Prefecture, and in Minami-Yamashiro of Kyoto Prefecture.[5] Kanjo Nawa is also known as Kanjo Tsuri (勧請吊).[6]

Examples
  • Kanjo Nawa in Asukaji, Kasagi, Kyoto
    In Asukaji, in every January, villagers create Shimenawa, which is stretched over Nunome-Gawa River, running through the village, in order to pray for prosperity and safety. One person per household is supposed to attend the event. Tsukurimono (ツクリモノ), imitating farming equipment, daily-life instrument or sexual organs, is hung on Shimenawa. It was recognized as Intangible Folk Cultural Properties in 1998.[7][8]
  • Kanjo Nawa stretched over the river in Asukaji
  • The stage of Amaterasumikado Shrine (天照御門神社) in Kasagi, where Kanjo Nawa is created.

See also

References
  1. 勧請縄(かんじょうなわ)とは – コトバンク (in Japanese). Kotobank. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  2. 印南敏秀 (1993-12-28). 植木行宣; 樋口昭 (eds.). 民俗文化分布圏論 (in Japanese). pp. 375–376. ISBN 4-626-01486-0.
  3. 高嶋賢二 (2005). 村境の大草履―四国西南部の事例を中心に. 民具研究 (in Japanese). The Society for MINGU of Japan (日本民具学会). 131: 45–61.
  4. 小口千明 (1987-02-10). 農村集落における精神的ムラ境の諸相 ―茨城県桜村における虫送りと道切りを事例として― (PDF). 城西人文研究 (in Japanese). Josai University. 12: 37–51.
  5. 印南敏秀 (1993-12-28). 植木行宣; 樋口昭 (eds.). 民俗文化分布圏論 (in Japanese). p. 377. ISBN 4-626-01486-0.
  6. 原田敏丸 (1958). 近江の勧請吊 彦根論叢 (PDF). 人文科学特集第9号合併 (in Japanese). Economic Society of Shiga University (滋賀大学経済学会). 48/49: 345–360.
  7. 京都の文化財第16集 (in Japanese). Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education. 1999. pp. 33–34.
  8. "Kanjo Nawa (Sacred Rope Protecting Local People From Evil Spirits)". Kasagi Town. Retrieved 2017-09-11.
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