The Tale of the Immortals of Japan

This book is an adaptation of a Chinese classic, following the example of the "Extras Immortals" written by Liu Xiang of the Han Dynasty and the "Extras Immortals" written by Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty, and compiles the biographies of 37 people who are said to have performed miracles and become immortals in Japan (Honcho). The author is Oe no Masafusa. It was completed around 1098 (Chōde 2). The subjects included are not only laypeople but also monks, and their ranks and status are diverse. The laypeople include high-ranking people such as Prince Jōgu-taishi (Prince Shotoku) and Takeuchi no Sukune, as well as unknown samurai and children. The monks include not only famous high priests such as Kukai and Ennin, but also mountain ascetics and folk religious practitioners such as En no Gyoja, Nichizō, and Taichō. Unlike Chinese tales of immortals, there is a strong tendency for these tales to be linked to local beliefs in deities, and along with the Honcho Ojoden, also written by Masafusa, they are noted as texts that show the beginnings of the ideas of Shinbutsu shugo and honji suijaku, which became popular after the Middle Ages.

[Toru Fukasawa]

"Japanese Thought Series: Ojoden and Hokegenki" edited by Inoue Mitsusada and Ozone Shosuke (1995, Iwanami Shoten) " "Nakamae Masashi, "Longing for the gods - 'Honcho Shinsenden' and 'Honcho Retsusenden'" (included in 'Japanese Literature Interpretation and Teaching Materials Research 40-12', 1995, Gakutosha)" "Sugawara Shinkai, 'Japanese Thought and Shinbutsu Shugo' (1996, Shunjusha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

漢の劉向(りゅうこう)撰『列仙伝』や晋の葛洪(かっこう)撰『神仙伝』に倣(なら)いつつ、日本（本朝）で奇瑞を現し神仙となったとされる37人の伝記を集めた漢籍翻案書。著者は大江匡房(おおえのまさふさ)。1098年（承徳2）頃成立。収録対象は在俗者だけでなく僧侶にもおよび、その地位や身分も多岐にわたる。在俗者では上宮太子(じょうぐうたいし)（聖徳太子）や武内宿禰(たけのうちのすくね)などの高位のものから、名も知れぬ侍や童(わらわ)にまで、僧侶では空海・円仁ら名の知れた高僧だけでなく、役行者(えんのぎょうじゃ)・日蔵(にちぞう)・泰澄(たいちょう)ら山林修行者や民間宗教者にまでおよぶ。中国の神仙譚(しんせんたん)と違い、在地の神祇信仰と結びつく傾向が強く、同じ匡房著『本朝往生伝』とともに、中世以後盛んとなる神仏習合(しんぶつしゅうごう)・本地垂迹(ほんじすいじゃく)思想の萌芽がうかがえるテキストとして注目される。

［深沢　徹］

『井上光貞・大曾根章介校注『日本思想大系　往生伝・法華験記』（1995・岩波書店）』▽『中前正志著「神仙への憧憬―『本朝神仙伝』と『本朝列仙伝』」（『国文学　解釈と教材の研究40－12』所収・1995・学燈社）』▽『菅原信海著『日本思想と神仏習合』（1996・春秋社）』

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