Ball Game EYOU: Tradition and Acculturation

Abstract

This report examines the current practice of the Scramble for Shingi and cultural change in the Eyou ceremony performed at the Saidaiji-kannon-in temple. In the Kechigan-bi day ceremony, on the final day of worship, an event from ancient times called Shushoe takes place. In it, shirtless men in Shimekomi scramble for a natural medicine called “Goou”, and this is called “Eyou”. The participant who gets the Shingi will become a Fuku-otoko, a man blessed with honor and fortune throughout his life. The object of Scramble for Shingi is to place the Shingi into a square box. The Scramble for Shingi can be considered a free fight group ball game, a competition to put a ball into a fixed goal, such as Rugby and American football. The Eyou has been held without interruption for over 480 years, and its form has been affected by changes in social conditions throughout its history. The Scramble for Shingi, a component of the Eyou, is no exception. It has evolved along with social changes throughout its history.