Direction - Houi

It is synonymous with directions, but is especially considered in relation to good or bad luck in personnel matters. The four directions, east, west, north, and south, are the four directions, and the four corners, northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, are the four directions in between, making up the eight directions. The directions are further divided into 12, to which the 12 zodiac signs were assigned in ancient China. The eight directions are also divided into three, making them 24 directions. Each of these directions is given a special meaning and is said to affect human destiny. This idea from ancient China was introduced to Japan early on, and was spread by onmyoji (magicians), and has continued to the present day as people look at directions for good or bad luck when traveling, moving, building new houses, and in other situations. There are two types of directions for good or bad luck: (1) those that are fixed, such as the "Kimon" of the year of the Ox and Tiger (northeast), and (2) those that change depending on the year, month, day, time, etc.

(1) The demon gate of the Year of the Tiger is still important today, and there are several theories as to why. One theory is that it originates from the theory that Tohoku is the gate through which the spirits of the dead, or demons, enter and exit. Another theory is that the Year of the Tiger as a space has been replaced with the Year of the Tiger as a time, with the Year of the Tiger in December and the Year of the Tiger in the New Year both being the boundary between the year, and the Hour of the Tiger and the Hour of the Ox being the boundary between yesterday and today, and the Year of the Tiger being feared as a changing palace. However, there are other theories as well.

(2) The fortunes of the gods change according to the direction in which the gods of good and bad fortune are present, which rotate according to a certain rule. These misfortunes include "shinsatsu" caused by the god of gold (Konjin) and the eight generals (Hasshojin), and "hosatsu" caused by directions. The influence of the god of gold is strong, and construction work, travel, and relocation are avoided in the direction in which the god is present. The eight generals are the eight princes of Gozu Tenno in Onmyodo, and are the gods of epidemics in the four seasons and the four earthly days. The directions in which these eight gods are present, which rotate according to a certain cycle, are forbidden directions. In contrast to these shinsatsu, the five major hosatsu are Goousatsu, Ankensatsu, Honmeisatsu, Honmeitekisatsu, and Saiha, and all of these directions are considered to be unlucky.

The auspicious gods are Toshitoku, Taisai, Tentoku, Gettoku, Tentokugo, and Gettokugo, and it is said that they bestow good fortune on people who use the directions in which they are located, and the lucky direction known as "Ehomairi" refers to the direction in which the Toshitoku gods are located in that year.

[Yuko Yoshino]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

方角と同義であるが、とくに人事の吉凶との関係において考えられるもの。東西南北の四方位が四正(しせい)、その中間の東北、東南、西南、西北が四隅(しぐう)で、あわせて八方位となる。方位はさらに12に分けられ、古代中国ではこれに十二支を配当した。また、八方位は3分して二十四方位ともする。これら各方位にはそれぞれ特別の意義が付与されていて、人間の運命に影響を及ぼすものとするが、古代中国のこの考えは日本にも早く伝えられ、陰陽師(おんみょうじ)などによって広められて、旅行、移転、新築その他いろいろの場合に方位の吉凶をみることが行われて現代に至っている。方位の吉凶は、（1）「丑寅(うしとら)（東北）の鬼門(きもん)」のように固定しているものと、（2）年、月、日、時刻などによって変わるものとの二通りがある。

　（1）の丑寅の鬼門は今日でも重視されるが、その理由については諸説がある。あるいは東北が死霊、すなわち鬼の出入りする門という説に由来するものとし、あるいは、空間としての丑寅を時間の丑寅に置き換え、旧12月の丑月(うしのつき)と旧正月の寅月(とらのつき)をともに年の境、丑刻・寅刻を昨日から今日の1日の境とし、この丑寅を変化宮とみての畏怖(いふ)による、とするが、このほかにも異説がある。

　（2）は、一定の法則によって循環する凶神・吉神の在泊方位につれて、その吉凶が変わるもので、その凶災には金神(こんじん)、八将神(はっしょうじん)などによる「神殺(しんさつ)」と、方位による「方殺(ほうさつ)」とがある。金神の作用は強く、その在泊方位に向かって土木作業、出行、移転などを忌む。八将神は陰陽道における午頭天王(ごずてんのう)の八王子で、四季と四つの土用の行疫神。一定周期により循環するこの八神の在泊方位は禁方となる。これらの神殺に対し、方殺では、五黄殺(ごおうさつ)、暗劔殺(あんけんさつ)、本命殺(ほんめいさつ)、本命的殺(ほんめいてきさつ)、歳破(さいは)が五大方殺とされ、これらの方位はすべて凶である。

　吉神は歳徳(としとく)、太歳(たいさい)、天徳(てんとく)、月徳(げっとく)、天徳合(てんとくごう)、月徳合(げっとくごう)などで、その在泊方位を用いる人々に対し幸慶を与えるとし、「恵方詣(えほうまい)り」で知られる恵方とは、その年の歳徳神の在泊方位をさすものである。

［吉野裕子］

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