Relationship Between Time and Typical Buildings Depicted in KASUGA GONGEN GENKI

Abstract

The subject of this research was Kasuga Gongen Genki, an emaki consisting of 20 scrolls with text and images depicting tales of the miracles performed by Kasuganokami, the deity enshrined at Kasugataisha. The subject of this research was a religious emaki, so unlike narrative emaki the story does not focus on the same characters. There are different characters in each section, and several of the same buildings are repeatedly shown in the backgrounds. There are pieces of text with year numbers specifically related to the narrative, telling the viewer when the story occurred. Buildings depicted through oblique projections can create a pictorial space that has multiple viewpoints, as in the case of perspective projection. The depicted scene may appear as a photograph that can capture a moment in time, but unlike in a photograph, the building can be observed from multiple viewpoints. This could make the viewer experience a longer time span, rather than looking at merely a fleeting moment captured in time. I concluded that the typical depictions of Kasugataisha, despite the passage of time, indicate that repeated miracles took place in the same location, as if to emphasize that the divine protection of the Kasuga deity is eternal and omnipresent. In the past, Japanese people were devoted to Kasugataisha, and today the location hosts visitors from many diverse cultures.