Anniversary - Nenki

The auspicious anniversary of a person's death occurs every few years. It is also a memorial service held at that time. It is also called the anniversary, the shuuki, or the nenkai. In the case of Buddhist ceremonies, a monk is invited and relatives and friends gather to hold a memorial service. The first year after death is called the 1st anniversary, the second year is called the 3rd anniversary, and so on. Thereafter, the 7th, 13th, 17th, 23rd, and 27th anniversary memorials are held. The 23rd and 27th anniversary memorials may be combined to hold a 25th anniversary memorial. The 33rd, 49th, or 50th anniversary is the final anniversary. In the case of high priests and business founders, memorials may be held every 50 years after the 100th anniversary, and are called onki. In Shinto funerals, posthumous festivals are held in 10-year increments, such as the 10th and 20th anniversary memorials. The final anniversary is called the end of mourning, questioning, or festival, and after that, the memorial services for the deceased are discontinued. A wooden stupa is erected on the stone monument for each anniversary, but for the final anniversary, it is common to erect a leaf stupa with leaves left on the top of the living tree, a forked stupa with a fork at the top, or a square stupa like a pillar.

In Japanese ancestral beliefs, it is believed that the spirits of the dead who have completed their final anniversary leave behind the impurities of death and their individuality, become a single spiritual entity known as an ancestral spirit, and watch over the lives of their descendants. It is an opportunity for the spirits of the dead to become gods, and in some places, memorial tablets are also incinerated.

[Shoji Inoguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

人の死後、数年置きに巡ってくる祥月命日(しょうつきめいにち)。またそのときの供養(くよう)行事。回忌、周忌、年回ともいい、仏式の場合は僧侶(そうりょ)を招き、親戚(しんせき)や知友が集まって法要を営む。死後1年目を一年忌、満2年目を三年忌、以後は七、十三、十七、二十三、二十七年忌と続く。二十三年忌と二十七年忌とをあわせて二十五年忌をすることもある。三十三年忌か四十九年忌もしくは五十年忌を最終年忌とする。高僧や事業の創業者などの場合は、百年忌以後も50年ごとに年忌を営むことがあり遠忌(おんき)という。神道(しんとう)で葬式をする神葬祭の祭式では、十年祭、二十年祭と10年刻みで死後の祭りをしている。最終年忌のことは弔(とむら)い上げ、問い切り、祭りじまいなどといい、それ以後はその死者の供養行事を打ち切る。年忌のたびに板塔婆(とうば)を石碑のところに立てるが、最終年忌には生木(なまき)の上部に葉を残した葉つき塔婆や、上が二股(ふたまた)になった股塔婆や、柱のような角塔婆を立てる例が多い。

　日本的な祖霊信仰では、最終年忌を終えた死者の霊は、死の穢(けがれ)や個性を去り、祖霊というひとかたまりの霊質となって、子孫の暮らし向きを見守ってくれるものと考えていた。死者の霊が神になる機会で、位牌(いはい)なども焼却する所がある。

［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