Division of memorial tablets - Ihaiwake

Japanese: 位牌分け - いはいわけ

...One is, in principle, to worship the family head and his spouse for each generation, and in this type of memorial tablet ritual, the patrilineal family line is emphasized, which corresponds to the family line in inheritance of property. The other type, as represented by the folk custom of "living tablet division," is to worship the ancestral tablets of the mother's or wife's side of the family in some form, whether limited or unlimited. Especially in southwestern Japan and urban families, there are many cases of worshiping the ancestral tablets of the mother's or wife's side of the family across generations....

From [Retirement]

...Whether the retired family or the main family is responsible for ancestral rites, including memorial tablet rites, varies, and in reality, there are regional differences as to where the Buddhist altar is placed. In some cases, such as on Izu-Toshima, both families perform memorial tablet rites by dividing the memorial tablets. In retired families, not only is there such a separation of the lives of the main family and the retired family, but they also maintain solidarity through meals together during Obon and New Year, and through retired daughters and sons.

From 【Brothers/Sisters】

...This difference is common in Japanese direct line families, which are based on the system of one child remaining, and is often evident in the performance of rites of passage. In contrast, the equal division of inheritance system is an inheritance system that does not create disparities between siblings, and it can be said that the practice of "ihai wakare" (in which all children have the mortuary tablet of their parent), which is one form of memorial tablet ritual, has a similar meaning. Levirate marriage and sororate marriage are systems that emphasize the unity between brothers and sisters, respectively.

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "ihai wakare" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…一つは原則として家代々の家長とその配偶者をまつる型であって，この型の位牌祭祀においては父系単系的な家筋が強調され，財産相続における家筋と一致する。いま一つの型は民俗慣行としては〈位牌分け〉に代表されるように，限定的にせよあるいは無限定的にせよ母方や妻方の家族の先祖の位牌を何らかの形で祭祀する型である。とくに西南日本の家族や都市家族にあっては超世代的に母方や妻方の位牌をまつる例がしばしばみられる。…

【隠居】より

…位牌祭祀をはじめとする祖先祭祀を隠居と主屋のいずれが担当するかはまちまちであり，現実的に仏壇がどちらに置かれるかも地域差がある。伊豆利島のように位牌分けによって双方で位牌祭祀を行う例もある。隠居制家族においてこのような主屋と隠居屋の生活分離ばかりでなく，盆や正月における共食や隠居娘･隠居息子などを通じて連帯関係を保持している。…

【兄弟∥姉妹】より

…この差は一子残留制を基本とする日本の直系型家族において一般的であり，通過儀礼などの遂行にあたってこの差がよくあらわれる。これに対して均分相続制は兄弟間の格差をつけない相続制度であり，位牌祭祀形態のひとつである〈位牌分け〉(親の位牌を子ども全員がもつ慣行)もこれに類似した意味をもつといえる。レビレート婚とソロレート婚はそれぞれ兄弟間と姉妹間の一体性を強調する制度である。…

※「位牌分け」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

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