Transmission of Folklore Events and Their Specific Traditional Dishes in Hyogo Prefecture (An Intergenerational Comparison in Recognition and Experience of Annual Events)

Abstract

Extracted data from three generations of students, parents, and grandparents in Hyogo Prefecture concerning 17 Japanese annual events (e.g., New Year's Eve, the New Year, seasonal events or festivals, and Buddhist events), were analyzed for intergenerational transmission. The results obtained were as follows: Shogatsu (New Year's celebration), Omisoka (New Year's Eve), Christmas, and Setsubun (seasonal events), all of which include traditional meals and dishes (e.g., Zoni, soba, cake, Makizushi), were recognized and experienced by almost everyone, including people from all generations. The annual events, which were well recognized but infrequently experienced, were Otsukimi, Jinjitsu, Tango, Shunbun (Spring Equinox), Touji, and Shuubun (Autumnal Equinox). Among them, Shunbun and Shuubun, in particular, were not passed down through the generations as family traditions. The autumn festival and spring festival were already less recognized and less experienced, and so these celebrations will probably fade away with time. Among 17 events, Chouyou was the least experienced event, with only a few percent of the students having attended. In other words, this event has almost become irrelevant to contemporary Japan.