{"id":594,"date":"2021-10-29T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/?p=594"},"modified":"2023-02-06T09:41:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T08:41:00","slug":"guest-contribution-revitalization-attempts-of-buddhist-temples-in-the-rural-regions-of-tottori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/2021\/10\/29\/guest-contribution-revitalization-attempts-of-buddhist-temples-in-the-rural-regions-of-tottori\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Contribution: Revitalization attempts of Buddhist temples in the rural regions of Tottori"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>By Josko Kozic<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"600\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/talking-to-mr-ryochu-headpriest-of-sanbutsu-ji\/\" class=\"wp-image-600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Talking-to-Mr.-Ryochu-headpriest-of-Sanbutsu-ji-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\"><em><strong>Talking to Mr. Ryochu, headpriest of Sanbutsu-ji<\/strong><\/em><br><em>Copyright Josko Kozic 2021<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During my research on rural Shugend\u014d, a Japanese religion focusing on asceticism and mountain worship, I regularly come across temples contributing to their local communities in different ways. This is not a new phenomenon, however, it might be an increasingly important factor, due to several demographic changes which also affect the sphere of religious life. It so happens that Japan currently does not only face a decline in the birthrate or rural outmigration, it also faces a decline of temple successors (<em>k\u014dkeishamondai<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Manidera temple in Tottori for instance, I got to know the successor priest, who himself is an I-turner and moved to the area from Tokyo only a few years ago. He became a monk at the age of 40, which seems relatively late for dedicating oneself to a temple for the rest of one\u2019s life. It shows how much rural temples rely on successors from far away. At Sanbutsu-ji, a more famous temple in the region located on Mt Mitoku, an I-turner from England is working as a guide, bringing international tourists to the site. He offers one-day ascetic workshops <em>(shugy\u014d taiken<\/em>) that include hiking to sacred sites, sometimes called \u201cpower spots\u201d or meditating under waterfalls <em>(takigy\u014d<\/em>). Sanbutsu-ji recently updated its website and Instagram page to attract more national and international visitors, also hoping of promote the temple\u2019s registration as a world heritage site. Both power spots as well as waterfall meditations seem to be part of a mainstream interest in <a href=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/2021\/07\/02\/primal-rhythm-an-outsiders-view-on-miyako-island\/\">sacralized, \u201cJapanese\u201d nature.<\/a> Forest bathing is also part of this trend. For temples located in areas with forests and waterfalls, including such workshops or \u201cexperiences\u201d in tourist campaigns is an important way to contribute to the attractiveness of their local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Taki-gyo-waterfall-training-near-Aoya-cho-Tottori-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"599\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Taki-gyo-waterfall-training-near-Aoya-cho-Tottori-rotated.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/olympus-digital-camera-4\/\" class=\"wp-image-599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Taki-gyo-waterfall-training-near-Aoya-cho-Tottori-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Taki-gyo-waterfall-training-near-Aoya-cho-Tottori-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Taki-gyo-waterfall-training-near-Aoya-cho-Tottori-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Taki-gyo-waterfall-training-near-Aoya-cho-Tottori-rotated.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/A-power-spot-in-Tottoris-mountainous-area-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"595\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/A-power-spot-in-Tottoris-mountainous-area-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/a-power-spot-in-tottoris-mountainous-area\/\" class=\"wp-image-595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/A-power-spot-in-Tottoris-mountainous-area-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/A-power-spot-in-Tottoris-mountainous-area-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/A-power-spot-in-Tottoris-mountainous-area-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/A-power-spot-in-Tottoris-mountainous-area-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/A-power-spot-in-Tottoris-mountainous-area-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\"><em><strong>The &#8216;Taki-gyo&#8217; waterfall training near Aoya-cho, Tottori and a power spot it Tottori&#8217;s mountainous area <\/strong><\/em><br><em>Copyright Josko Kozic 2021<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past, most temple economies relied heavily on their parishioners (<em>danka<\/em>). This is also true for temples in charge of practitioners of Shugend\u014d. Originally, they maintained cofraternities of lay practitioners and parishioners (<em>k\u014d<\/em>) from whom they received financial donations and other goods. Recently however, both the <em>danka<\/em> as well as the <em>k\u014d<\/em> experience rigorous decline. It so happens that during festivities and rituals performed by Shugend\u014d groups, almost no <em>k\u014d<\/em> associations are left to host the practitioners. Nowadays, members of the Community Building Support Staff (<em>chiiki okoshi ky\u014dryoku-tai<\/em>) occasionally take over this task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town2-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"598\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town2-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/local-ritual-at-aoya-town2\/\" class=\"wp-image-598\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town2-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"597\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/local-ritual-at-aoya-town\/\" class=\"wp-image-597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/files\/2021\/10\/Local-ritual-at-Aoya-town-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\"><em><strong>Local ritual at Aoya town<\/strong><\/em><br><em>Copyright Josko Kozic 2021<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another temple I built a connection with is located in the mountains near the small town of Aoya. Apparently, the priest in charge was asked to become a monk by a family member before he entered monkhood. As he mentioned during one of our conversations, there would have been no other person to take over the temple otherwise. He now runs his own YouTube and Twitter account, sharing impressions of his everyday country life and his thoughts on worldly matters. Last month, he kindly invited me to join for a waterfall-meditation. His wife is originally from Saitama prefecture and is a self-employed manga artist. She moved to Tottori as an I-turner after publishing her first manga,<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubusuna1984\"> &#8216;Yamabushi Girl<\/a>&#8216;. In an interview, she told me about pros and cons of living in the rural area, emphasizing though that she is happy with her choice after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I always feel grateful being able to get in touch with locals, priests and practitioners who live at the outskirts of Japan. Currently, I am residing in the Tamba region of Hy\u014dgo prefecture where I am conducting further research on this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Josko Kozic (MA) moved to Japan five years ago after graduating in Japanese &amp; Southeast Asian Studies at Goethe University in his hometown Frankfurt. He currently resides in Yokohama while working on his PhD thesis about contemporary Shugendo (a Japanese religious tradition). He is affiliated with the faculty of Religious studies at Heidelberg University<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Josko Kozic During my research on rural Shugend\u014d, a Japanese religion focusing on asceticism and mountain worship, I regularly come across temples contributing to their local communities in different ways. This is not a new phenomenon, however, it might &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/2021\/10\/29\/guest-contribution-revitalization-attempts-of-buddhist-temples-in-the-rural-regions-of-tottori\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":602,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions\/602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/userblogs.fu-berlin.de\/urban-rural-migration-japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}