Village boundary - Murazakai

Japanese: 村境 - むらざかい

The boundary between villages. There are real village boundaries in terms of administrative divisions, and psychological village boundaries in the lives of villagers, but in folklore, the latter are more important. Many stone monuments such as Dosojin and Nijusanyato, and Koshinzuka are found on village boundaries, and in various places there is a custom of placing a giant straw doll like Kashima-sama to prevent evil spirits from entering from outside (→Sai no Kami). Also, during New Year's, a shimenawa rope is stretched across the village boundary to cut off the road, and torches are held up to send off harmful insects during the Mushi Okuri ceremony. It is also at this village boundary that villagers leaving on a journey are sent off, and conversely, it was here that villagers returning from a journey were welcomed back with a drinking party.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

村落の境界。村境には行政区画上の現実の村境と，村民の生活における心理的村境があるが，民俗学においては後者がより重要である。村境には道祖神，二十三夜塔などの石碑，庚申塚などが多くみられるほか，鹿島様のように巨大なわら人形を置いて外からの悪霊の侵入を防ごうとする習俗も各地にある (→塞の神 ) 。また正月には，この村境に注連縄 (しめなわ) を張って道切りをし，虫送りのときには松明 (たいまつ) をかざしてここまで害虫を送ったりする。旅立つ村人を送るのもこの村境で，また反対に旅から帰った村人を出迎え酒宴を張る坂迎えも，ここで行われた。

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