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Kaimyo (Japanese Buddhist Posthumous Names) as Indicators of Social Status |
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| Author |
Swarts, Erica Diehlmann
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| Date | 2001 |
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| Pages | 242 |
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| Publisher | The Ohio State University |
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| Publisher Url |
http://www.osu.edu/
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| Location | Ohio, US [俄亥俄州, 美國] |
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| Content type | 博碩士論文=Thesis and Dissertation |
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| Language | 英文=English |
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| Degree | doctor |
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| Institution | Ohio State University |
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| Advisor | Moore, Richard H. |
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| Publication year | 2001 |
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| Keyword | Japanese; Buddhist; Posthumous names; Social status; Kaimyo |
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| Abstract | This work focuses on the relationship between religion and social status in a rural town in the Tohoku region of northern Japan. I explore this conflict between egalitarian religious ideology and hierarchical social reality through kaimyo , posthumous Buddhist names. My question is, are kaimyo indicators of social status? Most Japanese assert they have no religion, but the vast majority are buried and memorialized through Buddhist rites. Kaimyo are a standard and accepted part of these Buddhist rites, written for the deceased by a local priest in exchange for a donation. The donation however, is a matter of dispute. Priests claim that kaimyo are free, lay people argue that they are not. The priest chooses the different characters and endings that comprise kaimyo after he receives the family's donation. Trends suggest that people are paying larger sums to receive more prestigious characters and higher status endings. In fact, a number of Japanese told me that kaimyo have become status symbols. The historical interaction between Buddhism and the social structure suggests that this is likely. The beliefs of the laity in Nakada, as documented through surveys and interviews, are weighed against evidence found in three local cemeteries. The three cemeteries represent different status groups within the township. I hypothesize that higher concentrations of honorific characters and high status kaimyo endings will be found in wealthy areas or those historically associated with the elite. Conversely, in poor or outcaste locales, rates of honorific characters and high status endings should be substantially lower. Additionally, in outcaste areas, derogatory or discriminatory characters may appear in the kaimyo. |
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| Hits | 1610 |
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| Created date | 2005.09.23 |
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| Modified date | 2017.01.16 |
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