The Cult of Mitsumine in Edo: Its Development and Social Background

Abstract

From the 18th century, making a visit to sacred mountains became popular among Japanese people. Many such pilgrimages had a regionally distinctive sphere of religion. Mt. Mitsumine, in Chichibu County (nowadays in Saitama Prefecture), was one of the spiritual centers for such pilgrimages. It attracted people from Kanto and Koshin Districts from the middle of the 18th century. This study examines the cult of Mitsumine in Edo (present-day Tokyo), focusing especially on the social background behind its development.According to an account at the beginning of the 19th century, the Mt. Mitsumine shrine afforded facilities to receive visitors. Pilgrimages were generally undertaken by religious groups called "ko". In Edo, the cult of Mitsumine was believed to prevent misfortunes, such as fire and bandits. Visits to Mt. Mitsumine from Edo increased between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Mitsumine followers of Edo also evangelized their belief to its suburbs and more remote areas.The Mitsumine-ko in Edo tended to be organized by the trade guilds. Tatekawa-ko was the most influential supporter of the cult. The group consisted mainly of timber wholesale and commission merchants, and its members mostly lived in eastern Edo. A large volume of timber was transported from the mountains in the Kanto District to Edo, and Chichibu County, where Mt. Mitsumine is situated, had also become one of the sources of timber. The commercial relation between Chichibu and Edo is said to have facilitated the penetration of the cult into Edo.Since the early 19th century, the change in the distributive system loosened the unity among the timber merchants. Religious circles such as Tatekawa-ko played a crucial role in reestablishing a solid network among the merchants. Moreover in Edo, where fires frequently occurred, the merchants, particularly timber traders, were making a profit from them. Thus, the charms of Mitsumine were considered as an indulgence among the merchants. For these reasons, the Mitsumine cult in Edo was established and maintained.The study concludes that social background profoundly affected the development of belief.