Akae (smallpox painting) - Akae

...Furthermore, when people were infected with smallpox, there was a custom of holding a "smallpox festival" to ward off the plague god, and events were held in which people would gather at the patient's house to exchange gifts and share food. In addition, people relied on superstitious medicines and talismans, believed in food taboos, and, for example, surrounded smallpox patients in all red, and smallpox paintings, also known as "akae," became popular. In the Edo period, a custom of pouring rice water mixed with sake over smallpox, called "sasayu," spread as a treatment for smallpox, and this eventually became a costly celebration. ...

*Some of the terminology used in reference to "Aka-e (pox painting)" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…さらに痘瘡にかかると，疫神をはらうための〈疱瘡祭〉を行う風習があり，患家に集まって贈物を交換したり，食物を分け合う行事が行われた。そのほか迷信的な薬方や護符にすがり，食物の禁忌(タブー)が信じられ，たとえば痘瘡患者の周囲を赤色ずくめにするなどし，〈赤絵〉ともいわれる疱瘡絵が流行した。痘瘡の治療として，江戸時代には〈ささ湯〉という，痘瘡の落痂を促進させるため酒を加えた米の白水（しろみず）をかける風習が広がり，これはやがて出費のかさむ祝事となった。…

※「赤絵（疱瘡絵）」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報