The Influence of the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on the People of Hokudan -cho

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The significance of a rural festival for the residents of a village an Awaji island, psycho-social influences of the festival on individuals after the 1995 earthquake were analyzed. 1995 was in fact an unfortunate year for everybody as well as being the traditional unlucky year for the cohort of males who reached their 41^<st> year in 1995.The latter was studied through interviews with participants from the island and Hanshin area who carried a miniature shrine. 41-year old males carried the miniature shrine in the year previous to his "yakudoshi" the unlucky year according to Shinto belief.They were interviewed to determine the conditions of their participation in the festival, their experience of the festival, the earthquake, and the change in human relations and psychological conditions. From this data, the significance of the earthquake and the festival was analyzed.The influence of the festival on the hometown and on the participants was examined from recollections of the festival … More during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The influence of this rite of ants was analyzed. The festival Hokudancho is deeply rooted in the local community as a cultural heritage. Even adults look forward to the festival. To maintain Danjiri, they contribute a fair amount of money.Many people in Hokudancho participated in the festival including about 70-80% of male and female classmates of relevant age-grade. Even from outside the island, 60-80% of classmates participated. Fishing villages were more enthusiastic than farm villages. The festival strengthened the relations within the family and among neighborhoods, classmates, managements, rank^-and file and customers among people in commerce. Various kind of people gathered : people with destroyed houses, those who had suffered physical injuries, those who involved in the troubles during the recovery process after earthquake, those with physical weakness, those who recovered from such conditions and those who underwent a change in their view on life. They overcome the earthquake disaster and the unlucky year by promoting their sense of togetherness and participation in the divine service of carrying the miniature shrine with their classmates during the unlucky year. Less