The Filleting Fish Ceremony “Hocho- Shiki”

One of Folk Festivals in Mie Prefecture

Abstract

In this papre, the hocho-shiki (fish filleting ceremony) indigenous to Mie Prefecture was investigated and its historical background and relationship to native industries were researched.
1. The tradition of the hocho-shiki, in which fish is prepared without touching it through the use of metal chopsticks, was preserved in four areas and a similar event was preserved in five areas of Mie Prefecture. All ceremonies were localized in the Shima region of central Japan.
2. Gray mullet, an important fish in the fishing industry of the Shima region, is used in the hocho-shiki.
3. The hocho-shiki is performed as a New Year's event together with the tradition of drawing a bow. This suggests that the old traditions and customs of samurai bushi became such Shinto rites as the hocho-shiki, the mana- bushi, or the mana-ita.