<論文>過疎地域における祭りの終了と再生のメカニズム --三重県神川町の「桜祭り」から「桜覧会」への転換に注目して--

Abstract

Local festivals in rural areas of Japan are undergoing major changes because of the shrinking population and the increasing age of local residents. Many festivals are disappearing or being suspended due to lack of manpower or funds, lack of motivation, or because of disagreements or conflicts within the local community. On the other hand, some successful countermeasures have been reported in previous studies, such as changing the form of a festival from religious or self-enjoyment purposes to tourism promotion, economic revitalization or the recruitment of new residents, such as university students, from outside the region. Previous studies have enumerated a wide variety of such initiatives, but have rarely addressed how such countermeasures should be discussed, evaluated, accepted and introduced within the local community. Even if a given solution is known to be effective, it will not be introduced unless most of the local residents accept it. It is important to understand the transformation process associated with a festival while positioning it within the context of negotiation or dialogue involving the local community. This paper explores how a festival can transform itself in order to respond or adjust to conflict within the community - focusing on the changes made to the local "Cherry Blossom Festival" in Kamikawa, in Mie Prefecture. This festival had been held regularly since the 1980s, but in 2017 it was called off due to a lack of manpower and differences of opinion among local residents regarding its continuation. However, in 2018, some residents and outside supporters attempted to revive the festival, renaming it the "Cherry Blossom Party". They appealed for "a return to making the festival an enjoyable occasion" and thereby tried to respond to some of the criticisms that had earlier been directed towards the former festival. This strategy is noteworthy in that it is the reverse of the general trend from self-enjoyment to tourism mentioned above. This paper concludes that in order to fully understand the factors contributing to the transformation of a festival, it is essential to explore the local context and closely examine what areas of agreement or disagreement are associated with it.