Hidden Village - Kakurezato

A utopia said to exist in a secluded area, such as deep in the mountains or in the depths of a cave. A fairyland. There are many legends about hidden villages being discovered when the sounds of pounding rice or weaving on a loom were heard from the mountains, or when chopsticks or bowls were floated down the mountain. Villages deep in the mountains where defeated warriors and their descendants are said to have settled can be found all over Japan, and the Heike villages are a prime example. It is not uncommon to find legends of a wet nurse carrying her child in her bosom and escaping danger. In the mid-modern period, "Umeo Zuihitsu," there is a story about a village of five or six houses in a valley where a hunter got lost, and the people living there were the family of Ogasawara Nagatoki, who was destroyed by Takeda Shingen. Also, the "Satsuma Kyudenshu" tells the story of a Satsuma samurai who got lost in the mountains of Shikago on a dark night, but found a hidden village surrounded by golden Byobu rocks, and even though it was mid-winter, there was no sign of snow. Furthermore, a hidden village that is said to have been discovered in Miyazaki Prefecture is endowed with an alluring mysticism. A well-kept mansion in the mountains of Kirishima is said to be inhabited by a beautiful woman who plays music all day long. It is said that some of the people who saw this hidden village tried to return, but were never able to find it again. Volume 2 of the "Tonegawa Zushi" states, "There is a hidden village in the village, and it is said that a woman came from Kawai Village in Yashū to open this village, and when there is a banquet, she borrows a bowl from there..." There are many legends in which ordinary villagers borrow things from hidden villages. For example, the following story is passed down in Inba County, Chiba Prefecture: There is a large cave in the village, where people used to live. They had many wonderful furnishings, and would lend them to visitors or when there was a celebration... In the forest of Saiku in Taki County, Mie Prefecture, it is said that on New Year's Eve, instead of borrowing things, people use votive plaques presented from hidden villages to predict the future. This type of utopia legend can be found in various places, including old stories such as "Mouse Pure Land" and "Ryugu Castle." This may be a product of Japan's ancient longing for foreign lands, which existed before the introduction of Buddhist Pure Land thought.

[Shogo Watanabe]

"Hidden Village" (included in "The Complete Works of Yanagita Kunio 5", 1964, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

深い山の中とか、洞穴の奥など人目につかない地域に存在すると伝えられる理想郷。仙境。米搗(つ)きや機(はた)織りの音が山の中から聞こえてきたり、箸(はし)や椀(わん)が流れてきて隠れ里が発見されたという伝説が多い。敗軍の武士ならびにその子孫が住み着いたと伝えられる山奥の集落は日本の各地にみられ、平家集落などはその代表例といえる。乳母(うば)が子を懐(ふところ)に入れて難を避けた地という「乳母が懐」の伝説を伴う例も珍しくはない。近世中期の『梅翁随筆』には、狩人(かりゅうど)の迷い込んだ谷間に5、6戸の集落があり、そこに住むのは、武田信玄に滅ぼされた小笠原(おがさわら)長時の一族だったという話が出てくる。また、『薩摩(さつま)旧伝集』は、薩摩の武士が暗夜鹿籠(かご)山中に迷い入るが、そこは黄金の屏風(びょうぶ)岩に囲まれた隠れ里で、真冬というのに雪の降る気配さえなかったという話を伝えている。さらに、宮崎県で発見されたとされる隠れ里は、なまめかしい神秘性を備えたもの。霧島山中に掃除の行き届いた邸宅があり、そこには世にもたえなる美女が住まい、終日音曲が奏でられているという。この隠れ里を見た人のうち何人かは再訪を試みたが、二度と訪ね当てることはかなわなかったと伝えられる。『利根川図志(とねがわずし)』巻2に、「野州河合里(やしゅうかわいのさと)より来りてこの村を開くという、村中に隠れ里あり、饗応(ふるまい)ある時はそこより膳椀(ぜんわん)を借り来て……」とある。このように、一般の村人が隠れ里から借り物をする伝説も多い。たとえば千葉県印旛(いんば)郡には次のような話が伝わる。村の中に大きな岩穴があって、昔はそこに人が住んでいた。すばらしい調度品をたくさん持っており、来客や祝いごとがあると貸してくれた……と。三重県多気(たき)郡斎宮(さいくう)の森では、借り物ではなく、隠れ里から献上された絵馬で大晦日(おおみそか)の夜、豊凶を占うという。昔話の「鼠(ねずみ)浄土」や「竜宮城」などを含めて、この種の理想郷伝説は各地でみられる。これは、仏教の浄土思想渡来以前のわが国古来の他郷憧憬(しょうけい)観の産物とも考えられる。

［渡邊昭五］

『「隠れ里」（『定本柳田国男集 5』所収・1964・筑摩書房）』

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