[Research Notes] Rice Planting and Women : A Study from a Folkloric Point of View

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[Article] Perspectives on Shokushu (Eating Habits) as Part of Folk Traditions

本論の目的は，民俗学の食習調査の理念の確認と，食習調査やその後の民俗資料緊急調査等の食習に関する資料から，とくに食制つまり食べ方を中心とした「食習と観念」の変化について分析を行なうことである。 柳田國男は，食品，食制，食料，食具の4項目に分けて，なかでも食制研究を重視していた。民間伝承の会による「食習調査」（昭和16，17年）もこの枠組みを背景に項目立てがなされていたといえる。従来，この食習調査は大政翼賛会の委託によるものであることが強調されて，その内容の分析は十分行なわれてこなかった。その後，全国調査としては，高度経済成長期の昭和37年以降，文化財保護部（現文化庁文化財部）による民俗資料緊急調査が行なわれ，さらに，昭和50～60年代の農山漁村文化協会による『日本の食生活全集』が刊行されている。これらは，食べるものや食べることについては記述がなされており，貴重であるが，食べる意味についての分析はとくになされていない。そこで，前述の民俗学が調査し記録してきた食習に関する資料から，とくに食べ方を中心とした食習と観念の変化について検討を試みた。12月の晦日に家族そろって年神を迎える忌み籠りに際して，年取りの儀礼として白飯を食していたこと，先祖の命日や節日などには家族が精進食をとる精進日が定められていたこと，屋外で弁当を食べたり，川原で煮炊きする時には，自然界の霊的なものたちに対しても少し食べ物を分け与える「ホカイ」の習俗が伝承されてきていたこと，などを述べた。しかし，このような忌み籠りや忌み慎みの観念，自然への畏怖と共食感覚などが，現在では希薄になり喪失してきている。それは高度経済成長期の生活変化の延長線上で加速化してきているといる。しかしさまざまな儀礼食の伝承の希薄化や喪失のなかで，現在でもこのような伝承を大切にしてきている事例も一部に存在することに注目した。そして，そこから民俗伝承というのは変遷をともないながらも消滅のない運動であるということを指摘した。The purpose of this paper is (1) to examine beliefs revealed by past shokushu (eating habits) surveys of folk traditions, and (2) to analyze changes in eating habits and peoples' attitudes to eating habits, centered on shokusei, or food culture. We based our studies on the results of several surveys of eating habits, including the Eating Habits Survey conducted by the Folklore Society in 1941 and 1942 and the Emergency Survey on Folk Materials conducted by the Cultural Properties Protection Department (currently the Agency for Cultural Affairs) in 1962-1965. People's diets and cooking methods changed after Japan's high economic growth period. Using the above-mentioned survey results, we investigated traditional ideas about food culture and how they have changed. Our conclusions are based on the following examples. On New Year's Eve in December, when the entire family gathers and welcomes the toshigami (God of the New Year), people had a custom called imigomori (staying at home to avoid contact with worldly contamination), in which they ate white rice as part of the toshitori (welcoming in the New Year) ritual. On the anniversary of a family member's death, people selected a day for eating shojinshoku (vegetarian dishes). When people ate picnics outdoors or cooked out in a dry riverbed, there was a custom called hokai, in which people shared their food with spiritual entities in the natural world. However, the beliefs behind imigomori (staying at home to avoid contact with worldly contamination), imitsutsushimi (isolating oneself from impure things), feeling awe for nature, and sharing food with spiritual entities have been fading in recent years. This tendency is becoming more pronounced due to the changes in people's lifestyles that took place during Japan's period of high economic growth. However, although various ritual eating traditions are on the verge of extinction, we noted that there are still some cases in which people value and preserve these traditions. We thus conclude that folk traditions evolve and change, but never completely disappear.departmental bulletin pape

Overview of the Collaborative Research

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Identification of the Components in a <i>Vaccinium oldhamii</i> Extract Showing Inhibitory Activity against Influenza Virus Adsorption

We previously reported that extracts from plants of the Ericaceae genus Vaccinium, commonly known as the kind of blueberry, inhibited the early steps of influenza virus (IFV) infection to host cells, and that the activity was correlated with the total polyphenol content. Particularly potent inhibitory activity was observed for Vaccinium oldhamii. In this study, we identified the active components in Vaccinium oldhamii involved in the inhibition of IFV infection. We sequentially fractionated the Vaccinium oldhamii extract using a synthetic adsorbent resin column. High inhibitory activity was observed for the fractions eluted with 30%, 40%, and 50% ethanol, and three peaks (peak A, B, and C) considered to represent polyphenols were identified in the fractions by HPLC analysis. Among these peaks, high inhibitory activity was detected for peak A and B, but not for peak C. These peaks were analyzed by LC/MS, which revealed that peak A contained procyanidin B2 and ferulic acid derivatives, whereas peak B contained two ferulic acid O-hexosides, and peak C contained quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside and quercetin-O-pentoside-O-rhamnoside. It is already known that these polyphenols have anti-IFV activity, but we speculate that ferulic acid derivatives are the major contributors to the inhibition of the early steps of IFV replication, such as either adsorption or entry, observed for Vaccinium oldhamii