稻作农耕与日本民俗的形成

Paddy Rice Farming and the Origin of Japanese Folk Customs

日本水稻种植在绳纹晚期从中国江南越海传至,此后稻作农耕作为一种新的生产生活方式,结合当地得天独厚的自然风土,形成了富有特色的日本民俗。日本稻荷神社数量很多,对狐狸的崇拜、樱花的喜爱、过年祭祀时注连绳的装饰以及相扑运动的起源等,最初可能都源于稻作农耕。日本一年四季有各种各样的祭,追根溯源不难发现,大部分都与水稻的播种、萌芽、生长、收获相关联,是人们对丰收的一种渴望,带有很强的现实主义色彩。稻米还被认为是力量的源泉,由此产生了从米中寻找力量的习俗,稻米及制成品还常用于节日祭祀。时至今日,日本人的日常饮食习俗中,依然还带有稻作农耕的烙印,稻作文化是日本文化之魂。

Spread from the south of the Chinese Yangtze River in the late Jomon,paddy rice farming,as a new way of production and living,has evolved a unique Japanese folk custom through long integration with local natural and humane conditions.There are many customs in Japan now that may have originated from paddy rice farming,such as large number of Inari shrine,fox worship,love for cherry blossoms,decorated simenawa in celebrating Spring Festival and sport of sumo,etc.A variety of activities of offering sacrifices to gods or ancestors are held in Japan all the year around,but it is easy to find out that most of them more or less have some relationship with rice-crop＇s seeding,germination,growth and harvest when their origins are traced.These activities,possessed of obvious realistic characteristics,express the Japanese people＇s wish for harvest.Paddy rice farming has been regarded as the source of power,from which the custom originated that people seek power from rice.Also,it is common in Japan that rice and finished rice products are offered as sacrifices to gods or ancestors on festival days.Nowadays,the Japanese diet customs are still influenced by paddy rice farming.The rice-crop culture is surely recognized as the soul of the Japanese culture.