沿海航运的繁荣:近代日本金毗罗信仰传承的社会条件

The Prosperity of Coastal Shipping: Social Bachground for the Spread of the Konpira Belief in Early Modern Japan

金毗罗信仰这一传统民俗文化在日本近代化过程中成功实现了传承。表面看来,这一信仰的传承应主要归因于金毗罗神宫负责人在一次沿岸海难事故后促成了救助日本船员的水难救济会的成立,但实际上金毗罗信仰的中兴是特定社会条件下的产物。首先,日本在近代之前已建立起的沿海航运物流体系与全国性社会生产分工格局,在遇到近代产业化浪潮之后,推动沿海航运业迅速发展,从而赋予了传统帆船驾驶船员广阔的生存空间,以船员为信众主干的金毗罗信仰因此有了传承的载体。其次,明治维新的时代浪潮之下,日本政府因意识到沿海航运的发达是"殖产兴业"的前提保障,从而对减少海难、发展沿海航运寄予厚望,这一期望与金毗罗信仰所祈愿的海难救助目标契合一致。最后,近世至近代的濑户内海作为沿海航运的干线之所以长期繁荣,与大阪港货币、信用经济的兴盛关系密切,而金毗罗信仰的习俗活动正契合了这一外部环境。船员等庶民所信仰的金刀比罗宫等级不高,组织信众参拜主要依靠临近的大阪港内旅馆的商业活动,因而未受国家宗教改革的冲击;"流樽流木"习俗被船员传播到了全国各地河流沿岸,因此沿岸百姓保留了这一习俗,而近代濑户内海航线的繁荣也确保了漂至这一海域的"流樽流木"能被船员捞起送至神前,使得这一信仰习俗长盛不衰。正是近代以来沿海航运的持续繁荣,为这一信仰的成功传承提供了重要条件。

The folk custom culture of belief in Konpira had been inherited successfully when Japan entered modern times. The reason for its inheritance seems to be the establishment of Maritime Rescue Japan for Japanese seafarers facilitated by the chief priest of Kotohiragu shrine after a coastal disaster of that time. But it's found out after further exploration that the development of the folk belief is actually the product of certain social conditions. Firstly, coastal shipping logistics system and pattern of national social division of labor had been set up before modern time, and developed quickly in the industrialization at that time, bringing about the increase of seafarers maneuvering traditional sailing ships, who were the main part of believers of Konpira. Secondly,after entering a new era with the Meiji Restoration, the government had already realized that developed coastal shipping was the premise and guarantee of Industrial Development Policy, and had found it necessary to decrease marine accidents so as to develop coastal shipping. The need of government is the same with the goal of maritime rescue of Belief in Konpira. Lastly, the Seto Inland Sea as the main line of coastal shipping had been prosperous continuously from early modern time to modern time because of its close relationship with the Osaka port with developed market economy and credit trading, and the folk custom activity of Belief in Konpira was actually suitable for the environment. Kotohiragu shrine had no high grade because it was mainly believed by seafarers and other common people, and the believers' visit to the shrine was organized by the hotels in Osaka Port, so the belief had hardly been affected by the revolution of national religion. The custom of 'floating cask and timber' had spread to river basins by seafarers, and the people living there had inherited the custom. The Seto Inland Sea in modern time was so prosperous that there were a number of ships with seafarers driving on this line, who would pick up 'floating cask and timber' from the sea, which made the custom last for a long time. The prosperity of coastal shipping after entering modern time had been an important social condition of the successful inheritance of the belief.