Abstract
How much do the principles of social ties affect the conditions of conflict in local communities? Tomo no Ura, an ancient port town that has a continuing conflict that I call the “Tomo Port Preservation Problem” provides a good case study for this question. I analyzed the age-grade system of Tomo and examined why the Tomo Port Preservation Problem is a protracted and intergenerational conflict. I discussed the traditions of “Wakamono-gumi” (youth group) and “Tou-ya” as “Wakashuu-yado” (men's house) on the local festival in Tomo. The results show that there is a possibility that Tomo has an age-grade system. Thus, I examined the Tomo Port Preservation Problem from the perspective of an age-grade system. I purport that the residents of Tomo have a social consciousness dictating strong respect for the elderly, and they think of the president of the student government (or PTA) as a local leader who can negotiate efforts for important procedures. These observations should be regarded as evidence of social consciousness in a traditional age-grade system. Currently, it is difficult to acquire the observational data that can determine whether the local community has an age-grade system. However, I think that the findings of old studies of the age-grade system are useful for researching the conflict in the community. Those results may contain the seeds of possibility for developing an understanding of the inner workings of the community.
