Memorial tablet - Ihai

A rectangular wooden tablet on which the posthumous name (kaimyo) of the deceased is inscribed to enshrine the spirit of the deceased. There are three main types: no-ihai, uchi-ihai, and tera-ihai. No-ihai are made immediately after death. They are crudely made from plain wood and were originally handmade by members of the funeral team, but nowadays are purchased from funeral goods stores. A priest (or a Shinto priest in a Shinto ceremony) writes the posthumous name on the tablet and places it at the bedside of the deceased. During the funeral procession, the heir holds it in place. In the case of burial, the tablet is left upright after burial and left for 49 days, or until it has completely decayed. In the case of cremation, it is often taken home and enshrined on a temporary altar indoors.

Inner memorial tablets are made by discarding outdoor memorial tablets, and are often beautifully lacquered. They are always placed in the Buddhist altar and are the subject of memorial services. Usually, there is one for each deceased person, but some have both the posthumous posthumous names of the husband and wife inscribed on them. In such cases, if one of the spouses is still alive, the name is written in red. There are also sliding memorial tablets in which the posthumous names of several people are written on thin boards and stacked on top of each other, which are hung on a single memorial tablet, with the name of the person whose anniversary of death is brought out on top.

Temple memorial tablets are left at the family temple (donor temple) or head temple. They are made separately from the internal memorial tablet and taken to the temple along with a memorial offering. At the temple, they are placed to the side or back of the main hall, or in a memorial tablet hall, and memorial services are held at each morning and evening service. Only devout people or those with financial means make temple memorial tablets. The origin of the memorial tablet is thought to be a syncretism of the traditional idea of ​​a place for spirits to reside and Buddhist stupas, but there is also a theory that it is a variation on the customs of Confucian priests.

[Shoji Inoguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

死者の霊を祀(まつ)るために、法名（戒名(かいみょう)）を記した長方形の木牌。大別して野位牌、内位牌、寺位牌の3種がある。野位牌は死後ただちにつくる。白木の粗末なもので、もとは葬式組の人たちの手製、いまは葬具店で買い求める。僧侶(そうりょ)（神式なら神職）に戒名などを書いてもらって枕元(まくらもと)に置く。葬列では相続人が捧持(ほうじ)する。土葬の場合は埋葬した上に立てておき、四十九日まで、あるいは朽ち果てるまで放置する。火葬の場合は、持ち帰って屋内の臨時の祭壇に祀ることが多い。

　内位牌は、野位牌を放棄してつくりかえるもので、漆塗りのりっぱなものが多い。常時仏壇に安置して供養(くよう)の対象にする。1人の死者に対して1体が普通であるが、夫婦の戒名を併記したものもある。その場合、一方が存命であれば朱字にしておく。薄板に戒名を書いて幾人分も重ねて、一つの位牌にかけておき、命日の人の分を上に出すようにした繰り出し位牌もつくられている。

　寺位牌は、菩提寺(ぼだいじ)（檀那寺(だんなでら)）や本山に預けるものである。内位牌とは別に位牌をつくり、供養料を添えて寺に持って行く。寺では本堂のわきや裏、または位牌堂などに安置し、朝夕の勤行(ごんぎょう)のたびに供養することになる。寺位牌は、信心深い人や経済的にゆとりのある人だけがつくる。位牌の起源については、霊の依代(よりしろ)という伝統的な考え方と、仏教の卒塔婆(そとうば)とが習合したものと思われるが、儒教の神主(しんしゅ)の習慣が転じたものだという説もある。

［井之口章次］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例