A Geographical Study of Syncretism and Competition between Local Religions in Shonai District, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Since the 1980s, geographers have studied about the distribution of worshippers in temples, shrines and holy mountains in Eastern Japan. They have accused that a thin distribution of worshippers occurred due to competition between holy places that give people the same propitiousness or proximity to local neighborhood. However, geographers have not adequately clarified this situation. In this study, I will further investigate the competition between holy places in Shonai district, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan by interviewing the local residents.