Anniversary of death

The day of death of the deceased. It is called the day of death (ki (name) day), and is also called the day of death (kishin), the day of fugyounichi, and the day of distant death (onnichi). The death anniversary that comes around every month is called the monthly memorial day, and the annual anniversary is called the auspicious month memorial day. As can be seen in "Eiga Monogatari," Buddhist ceremonies for the auspicious month memorial day were already held among the nobility in the 11th century, but it is said that it was not until the 15th century that they became common among the common people along with the monthly memorial days. Buddhist ceremonies held on the anniversary of a specific year among the auspicious month memorial days are called annual memorial days or annual memorial days. In China, the ten Buddhist ceremonies were established, which added the 100th day, first anniversary, and third anniversary based on Confucian rites to the Chuin (Chuin) that takes place every seven days after death until the 49th day, which was developed from ancient Indian customs. After being introduced to Japan, the Thirteen Buddhas Ceremonies, which added the 7th, 13th, and 33rd anniversaries to the Ten Buddhas Ceremonies, became common between the 12th and 14th centuries. The Fifteen Buddhas Ceremonies, which added the 17th and 25th anniversaries, were created after the 16th century. The Thirteen Buddhas Faith, which assigns a principal Buddha to each of the Thirteen Buddhas Ceremonies, has given rise to the custom, particularly in esoteric Buddhism sects, of hanging a hanging scroll of the Thirteen Buddhas Mandala on the anniversary of the deceased's death as a Buddha that will lead them to enlightenment. There is also a custom throughout the country of ending such annual memorial services after a certain number of years. These are called tomuraiage, tokiage, and tokikiri, and in most cases the 33rd anniversary is the final anniversary, but there are also many regions where it is the 50th anniversary. For the final anniversary, a stupa with a branch or a living tree with leaves called a cedar stupa is erected. There is a belief that the Buddha becomes a god through this stupa. The soul of the deceased receives memorial services on the annual anniversary and during the Bon and Higan periods from its descendants, and as the years pass, it becomes less impure, gradually ascends to a purified soul, and merges with the ancestral gods on the final anniversary. It can be said that the annual memorial services have developed based on the unique Japanese view of the soul. After the 50th anniversary, the annual memorial services every 50 years are called Onki, but this has not become common and is only held on the Soshiki.

[Masao Fujii]

"Masao Fujii, ed., Dictionary of Buddhist Rites (1977, Tokyodo Publishing)" ▽ "Masao Fujii, ed., Buddhist Rites (1983, Tokyo Shoseki)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

故人の死亡した日をいう。忌(き)（諱）日(にち)といい、忌辰(きしん)、不楽日(ふぎょうにち)、遠日(おんにち)などともいう。月々に巡ってくる命日を月忌(がっき)、年に一度巡ってくる正忌日(しょうきにち)を祥月(しょうつき)命日という。『栄花(えいが)物語』にもうかがえるように、祥月命日の仏事はすでに11世紀には貴族の間で行われていたが、月忌とともに庶民間に一般化されるのは15世紀以降とされている。祥月命日のうちで特定の年の命日に営まれる仏事は年忌(ねんき)ないし年回(ねんかい)という。中国において、インド古来の習俗を展開させた、死後七日ごと四十九日までの中陰(ちゅういん)に、儒礼に基づく百か日、一周忌、三回忌を加えた十仏事が成立した。日本に入ってから、十仏事に七回忌、十三回忌、三十三回忌を加えた十三仏事が12世紀から14世紀にかけて一般化された。さらに十七回忌、二十五回忌を加えた十五仏事が生じるのは16世紀以降のことである。十三仏事にそれぞれ本尊仏を配当した十三仏信仰は、とくに密教系宗派では故人を成仏(じょうぶつ)に導く仏として命日に十三仏曼荼羅(まんだら)の掛軸をかけて回向(えこう)する習俗を生んでいる。また、このような年忌供養(くよう)を一定の年限をもって打ち切る習俗が全国的にみられる。弔(とむら)い上げ、問い上げ、問い切りなどとよび、多くの場合三十三回忌を最終年忌とするが、五十回忌とする地方も多い。最終年忌には梢付塔婆(うれつきとうば)とか杉塔婆という葉のついた生木の塔婆を立てる。この塔婆を伝わってホトケがカミになるという信仰がみられる。死者の霊魂は、年忌の供養、盆・彼岸の供養を子孫から受けて、年数を経るごとに穢(けが)れを薄くし、しだいに清まった霊魂に昇華し、最終年忌で祖先神に合体するという日本固有の霊魂観を基盤にして年忌は展開したといえる。なお五十回忌以後、50年ごとの年忌は遠忌(おんき)というが、一般化されることなく、祖師忌に限って営まれている。

［藤井正雄］

『藤井正雄編『仏教儀礼辞典』（1977・東京堂出版）』▽『藤井正雄編著『仏教の儀礼』（1983・東京書籍）』

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