Women's World - Onna no Tenka

Japanese: 女の天下 - おんなのてんか

...Chikamatsu's Joruri "Onna Goroshi Abura Jigoku" also says, "The night of May 5th is called the woman's house." It is widespread in the Kanto region and west, and in some areas the Yoiseku on the 4th is called the "woman's house," "woman's lodging," "woman's world," "fukikomori," and so on, and in some areas the woman brags and the half a tatami mat becomes her property. In Gunma, in some places, the woman takes the iris bath first, and the man prepares the food. ...

From [Tango]

...In Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture, there is a place where the night when the roof is thatched with irises is called "Women's House" and male guests are treated to a mixed rice dish of butterbur and broad beans. The night of this day, which is said to be a festival for boys, was once known throughout the country as a day for women to show off, with such names as "Women's World," "Women's House," "Women's Night," and "Women's Roof." These legends are thought to be remnants of the time when women, who had the important role of young girls during the upcoming rice planting season, would stay in certain houses and live a life of vegetarianism in order to welcome the rice field god. ...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "women's world" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…近松の浄瑠璃《女殺油地獄》にも〈五月五日の一夜さを女の家といふぞかし〉とある。関東以西に分布しており，4日の宵節供を〈女の家〉〈女の宿〉〈女の天下〉〈葺き籠り（ふきこもり）〉などと呼び，女がいばり畳半畳が女の所有になるという地方もある。群馬では，宵節供の菖蒲湯（しようぶゆ）は女が先に入るとか，食事は男が用意するという所もある。…

【端午】より

…愛知県一宮市には，葺き籠りといって菖蒲で屋根を葺いたその夜を〈女の家〉といい，客となって訪れる男にフキやソラマメの五目飯を出してもてなす所があるという。男児の節供のごとくいわれるこの日の夜を，女の天下，女の家，女の夜，女の屋根などといって女性がいばる日とすることが，かつては全国に分布していた。これらの伝承は，後に控えた田植のときに早乙女としての重い役割を担う女性が，特定の家に忌みこもって精進の生活をし，田の神を迎えようとしたなごりではないかとされている。…

※「女の天下」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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