Akiyama's Chronicles

Japanese: 秋山記行 - あきやまきこう

Written by Suzuki Bokushi, born in Shiozawa, Echigo. This is a travelogue of Akiyamago, a village said to have been a Heike refugee village along the Nakatsu River on the Shinetsu border. Bokushi visited Akiyamago in September 1828 (Bunsei 11) at the request of Jippensha Ikku, and completed the manuscript the following year. Bokushi conducted research in the villages he visited, similar to today's folklore studies, and despite only being there for a week, he made detailed observations of the dialects, food, clothing, shelter, production, beliefs, socio-economic relationships of the villagers, and even the actions and attitudes of the people. He also describes the unique lifestyle of the area, such as river fishing, hunting, slash-and-burn agriculture, and clothing called "angin." Along with Bokushi's "Hokuetsu Seppu," this work is regarded as a pioneering achievement in folklore history.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

越後塩沢に生まれた鈴木牧之（ぼくし）の著。信越国境中津川沿いの，平家の落人村と伝えられる秋山郷の紀行文で，十返舎一九の依頼により1828年(文政11)9月に秋山郷を探訪し，翌年には稿本が完成している。牧之は訪れた村々で，今日の民俗学のような調査を行い，1週間という短い日数にもかかわらず，方言，衣食住，生産，信仰，村人の社会経済関係などのほか，人々の動作や態度に及ぶまできめ細かな観察をしている。また，川漁，狩猟，焼畑，〈あんぎん〉という着衣など，この地に特徴的な生活もしるしており，同じ牧之の《北越雪譜》とともに民俗誌の先駆的業績として評価されている。

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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