Matchmaking - Enmusubi

The act of praying for a marriage by wrapping paper with the names and ages of the couple in paper strings and tying them to the latticework or trees of a temple or shrine. The idea that becoming husband and wife is the result of karma from a previous life is a Chinese idea, including Buddhism, but this idea has been strong in Japan since ancient times. The famous Hitachi-obi legend was passed down at Kashima Shrine in Hitachi (Ibaraki Prefecture). On the 14th day of the New Year festival at the shrine, a man and woman who are in love with each other write their names on a hemp sash and offer it to the altar. A priest ties the sash and then tells the fortune of whether or not the marriage will be successful. This story has been used as a utamakura (poem of a poem) since ancient times, and the word Hitachi-obi can be found in stories and songs from the Heian period. The same legends and customs exist among the people, and the most well-known one is that gods from all over the country gather at Izumo Taisha Shrine on the 10th month of the lunar calendar, Kannazuki, to decide the destinies of all men and women. In central Honshu, it is believed that the journey begins around the end of September or the beginning of October, and in some places along the coast of northern Kyushu, the day of departure is called Kami-watashi and the day of return is called Kami-modoshi, and people visit shrines on both days, and it is said that the wind blows in a favorable direction on these two days. Similar legends exist at the festivals of the local village gods, and many places are visited by young men and women. Other objects of prayer for matchmaking are Jizo and Kannon, and as many young people visit these festivals, they have resulted in many successful matchmaking. In addition to gods and Buddhas, the Aioi-no-matsu (pine trees in love), Meotogi (married couple trees), and Meotogi (married couple stones), which are found throughout the country, are also objects of prayer. Roadside gods, Dosojin (roadside gods), are also deeply connected to matchmaking between men and women, and statues of a male and female pair standing on either side are called Wago-shin (gods of harmony). In some mountain villages in Iwate Prefecture, the matchmaker for weddings is called Sainokami. Sainokami is the name of a roadside guardian deity. Games such as "Enmusubi" (marriage ties) and "Shukuyo Musubi" (living in a dream) are games that turn the above customs into games. The names of a man and woman are written on a piece of paper, which is then tied together at random, and the results are enjoyed.

[Hisako Maruyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

男女の名や年齢を書いた紙をこよりにして、社寺の格子や樹木に結び付けて、縁の結ばれるように祈願すること。夫婦となるのは前世の宿縁によるものだという思想は、仏教をも含めて中国思想であるが、昔からわが国のなかにもこの考え方は強かった。有名な常陸帯(ひたちおび)の伝承は、常陸（茨城県）の鹿島(かしま)神宮に伝えられたもので、神宮の正月14日の祭りの日に、相思の男女が麻の帯にそれぞれ名前を書いて神前に供えると、神官がそれを結び分けるのを受けて、結婚の成否を占うという故事で、古くから歌枕(うたまくら)としても使われ、常陸帯の語は平安期の物語や歌のなかにもみられる。同じ伝承や習俗は民間にもあって、もっともよく知られているのは陰暦10月の神無月(かんなづき)に諸国の神々が出雲(いずも)大社に集まって、すべての男女の縁を決めるという言い伝えである。本州中部ではだいたい9月の末から10月の初めに出発されると考えられていて、九州北部海岸地帯には出発の日を神渡し、お帰りの日を神戻しといって、両度とも神社に参詣(さんけい)する所があるし、この2日はそれぞれ都合のよい方向の風が吹くと言い伝えられている。各村々の氏神の祭りにも同様な言い伝えがあって、若い男女が参拝する地も多い。そのほか縁結びの祈願の対象となるのは、地蔵様、観音様が多く、その縁日にはとくに若い人の参拝が多かったので、結果的に縁結びの端緒となったものも多い。神仏だけではなく、各地に多い相生松(あいおいのまつ)、夫婦木(めおとぎ)、夫婦石なども祈願の対象となった。路傍の神としての道祖神(どうそじん)もやはり男女の縁結びに深い関係をもっていて、男女双立の神像を和合神などとよぶ。岩手県の山村には婚礼の仲人(なこうど)をサイノカミとよぶ所もある。サイノカミは道祖神のことである。以上の習俗を遊戯化したものに「縁結び」とか「宿世結び」という遊びがある。紙片に1枚ごとに男と女の名を記し、これを無作為に結んでその結果を楽しんだものである。

［丸山久子］

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