Local & Traditional Culture
Local culture is the culmination of the wisdom, skills, and lifestyles that a region's people have built over its long history. The various cultural assets, traditional industries, age-old festivals and myths, and other local customs and cultures remain vital to this day to enrich people's lives. Here, we introduce some of the research being undertaken by the University of Hyogo to pass on the history and culture of the region to future generations.
Festival traditions and culture from the perspective of cultural anthropology
Tamas Carmen
Professor, School of Economics and Management
I have been researching Japanese festivals, traditional culture, and mythology, and am currently analyzing the Tenjin Festival held at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine from a cultural anthropological perspective. The Tenjin Festival is one of the three major festivals in Japan. It is a traditional event with a history of over 1,000 years. The study of festivals includes numerous aspects, such as insights into history, rituals, religious practices, and local culture. In addition, the history and culture that are visible through festivals have a significant influence on modern society, and so understanding the past is very important for understanding modern society.
My main research methods are literature survey and fieldwork. In particular, in the fieldwork, I actively conduct interviews and participate in the community of the Kosha called "Ootori Mikoshi Ko,” one of the 24 groups involved in organizing the Tenjin Festival.
In the future, I will explore the connection between the Tenjin Festival and the history, culture, and community of its supporting groups, and analyze how this special relationship was formed. By studying the culture and traditions of the past, I hope to gain new insights into the challenges facing local communities in modern society and the importance of cultural preservation in the face of globalization.
What I also value in my research is the attitude of pursuing my passion and interests without focusing exclusively on the final goal. My former professor was of the same opinion: that real research can only be founded upon genuine interest that goes beyond the desire to achieve a specific goal. I would like to pass on this way of thinking to future generations of researchers. Cultural anthropology is a field in which it takes time to obtain direct social results quickly. Still, through research on the Tenjin Festival, I can preserve records and contribute to transmitting culture and tradition.
I can also help promote understanding of Japanese culture by conveying not only the superficial liveliness and pageantry of festivals but also the deep history and culture behind them to people in Japan and abroad. Driven by my interests, I will continue my research, believing that the results will benefit society.
Expanding Research
Discovering the value of local history and culture and inheriting them into the future
Atsushi Nakai
Professor, Graduate School of Regional Resource Management
My original specialty is historical archaeology, but now I am researching the historical and cultural heritage of the Tajima region. The research material is not only what is found in the ground, but also what the local people have carefully protected and passed down. We are working to elucidate history using a wide range of methods, for example Izushi ware as the traditional industry, documents related to oriental white storks that have coexisted with local people since ancient times, and analysis of written sources that describe the lives of people of the past. The objective of my research is to revitalize what people have carefully protected as local resources, and to pass on history and culture to the future. We believe that re-examining our own history is the first step in making it a regional resource and revitalizing the region. Through my research, I would like to help do just that.
The challenge of scientific analysis in cultural properties for the historic preservation
Takeshi Nagase
Professor, Graduate School of Engineering
I am currently conducting a scientific research project on an old tower clock involving "Izushi-shinkoro," which is an old tower clock called “Shinkoro” in Izushi town of Toyooka city. The project started by conducting a micro-structure analysis of the old tower clock by electron microscopy to identify where it was manufactured (Japan or not?), however, the project was changed from a simple metallurgical approach to a multi-faceted approach to elucidate its historical value and pass it on to future generations. Because the project is an investigation of a cultural asset instead of an ordinary industrial product, understanding the historical background is essential in addition to an engineering approach. I have established an investigation committee in collaboration with researchers from various fields and am also working with the public. Furthermore, I am planning a new challenge to utilize new technologies of network tele-microscopy and a digital twin based on 3D-printer and 3D digital data, allowing experts and citizens inside and outside Hyogo Prefecture to conduct the investigation simultaneously. My goal is to establish a new method for investigating cultural properties and to enhance the value of the old tower clock and "Izushi-shinkoro". In cooperation with the local community, I will continue the research and education to preserve valuable cultural properties for future generations.
Focus on Person
Preserving culture in a business-oriented society
I have been interested in Japanese culture since childhood and entered the University of Hyogo. While studying economics at the university, I strongly considered the importance of culture and tradition in economic development. I am researching the relationship between traditional Japanese culture and the economy, especially the impact of Shinto weddings on the economy. In my home country of Romania, I learned firsthand that while internationalization and economic development are good things, there is also the danger that one's culture and identity will fade away. In the future, I intend to pursue ways to become economically prosperous while preserving our traditions.
Preserving culture in a business-oriented society
Teodora Caluian
4th year student, School of Economics and Management
Unraveling history from an archaeological perspective to promote the value of Harima roof tiles
While working as a cultural property specialist in Himeji City, I am conducting historical research on roof tiles in the Harima region as a graduate student. By studying roof tiles, it is possible to learn about the techniques and habits of craftspeople of the time, as well as the unique characteristics of the region. By reading and presenting the history and cultural influences that propagated the techniques, I hope to improve the brand power of Harima's roof tiles. I also hope that by presenting the results of my research, I can make local people and many others aware of the technical and historical value of Harima's roof tiles, contribute to the promotion of local industry, and secure successors of the technique.
Unraveling history from an archaeological perspective to promote the value of Harima roof tiles
Daiki Yamashita
1st year doctor's program student, Graduate School of Regional Resource Management