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The Symbolism of the Shishi Performance as a Community Ritual – The Okashira Shinji in Ise –

The purpose of this article is to examine shishi gyōji 獅子行寧 (“lion dance performance”),an example of a Japanese celebration of the coming of spring, and to discuss the symbolism of this ritual and its relation to the community as a folk event. My conclusion is that this ritual is a reconfirmation of community order and has the ritual function of transforming young men into full members of society. The significance of this event depends to a great extent on the role of the shishi as an extraordinary animal with a strange and unusual form. In the article, the community I am dealing with is a “village” (mura), not necessarily in the sense of an administrative entity,but as a common, local social unit which shares the same daily activities,culture, and traditions.

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Language
English
Author
SAKURAI Haruo
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Volume
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Page Range
1 - 17
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