Contents
Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture ........... 1
Members of ISJFC

Message

Toward Fruitful Joint Research

History of ISJFC
Activities .................................................................................................................... 4
Projects
Research
Exhibition
Courses
Folk cultural studies seminar (Jomin Bunka Kenkyu Koza)
Practical training workshop for restorationof historical documents
Mingu forum

Holdings .................................................................................................................... 9
Collection of historical documents and cultural materials
Library collection
Searching our collection
Publications.........................................................................................................11
Rekishi to Minzoku (History and Folk Customs)
Mingu Monthly
Monographs, research reports, catalogues, etc.
International Center for Folk Culture Studies.............13
Access[Front Cover]This is the pattern of the hand cloth made by the Attic
Museum in the late 1930s as a gift given in return for
mingu received from common people (jomin).
(Designed by Kikuma Fujiki)

The latest information is available on
the ISJFC website.

•The Institute updates its website with the latest
information. Our collection can be accessed
through the Kanagawa University Digital Archive.
ISJFC website

http://jominken.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/en
The Research Center for Nonwritten Cultural Materials
http://himoji.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/
International Center for Folk Culture Studies
http://icfcs.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/en/

Kanagawa University Digital Archive
User Guide

http://jominken.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/en/digital_archives.html

The “Attic Museum Society” was founded by Keizo Shibusawa in 1921.
It suspended activities during his posting to the London branch of the
Yokohama Specie Bank, but resumed operations in 1925 as the “Attic
Museum.” It changed name again during World War II to the Institutefor the Study of Japanese Folk Culture. While the name had changed,
Shibusawa continued his collection of mingu, historical documents on
fishing and fisheries, and other cultural materials, and his research on
the materials he collected. His devotion to the collection and researchextended into the postwar years and contributed to the understandingof jomin (common people) society. The Institute Shibusawa founded has
been incorporated into Kanagawa University since 1982.
Academic studies tend to become subdivided and specialized. As a fieldof study progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand for
those outside the field and increasingly risks losing the interest of the
public. The significance of such specialization may be undeniable, but
Shibusawa’s research experience led him to appreciate the significance of
joint research with like-minded scholars in different fields. Thus, in thefirst number of Attic monthly, issued in 1935, he wrote:
何を自分はアチックに見出さんとしつつあるか。人格的に平等にして而も職業に専攻に性格に相異つた人々の力が仲良き一群として働く時その総和が数学的以上の価値を示す喜びを皆で共に味ひ度い。ティームワークのハーモニアスデヴエロープメントだ。

“What do I hope to find in the ‘Attic’? I hope to share with fellow scholars ofequal standing but in diverse careers and research fields as well as of different
personalities, the joy of engaging in joint research which, as a whole, surpasses
what would have been achieved through the sum of individual efforts. I
would describe it as the harmonious development of teamwork efforts.”

Shibusawa viewed joint research with scholars in different fields as theideal research approach. It seems to me that Shibusawa’s studies of jomin
culture aimed to halt the segmentation of disciplines caused by theemphasis on academic science and to restore the integration of different
fields. This was because multiple perspectives and value systems are
required in order to understand and represent jomin lifestyles and society.
I believe it is now more important than ever to carry on Shibusawa’s
research approach. The Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture
in Kanagawa University is open to the world and welcome any one whoshare our vision.

UCHIDA Seizo

Director
Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture
Kanagawa University

ISJFC

Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture

Activities

The Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture (ISJFC)
played a pioneering role in the research and analysis of the lifestyle,culture and history of ordinary Japanese people. Since its founding
as the “Attic Museum Society” by Keizo Shibusawa in 1921, theinstitute has focused on the diverse facets of jomin (common people)
society, ranging from the collection and classification of mingu (folk
implements) through the acquisition and cataloguing of historical
documents to the study of the history of fisheries. The institution
was incorporated into Kanagawa University in 1982 and continues tobe active as an interdisciplinary research institute of history and folk
culture. We are an open institution, one that provides opportunities
for outside scholars to promote academic exchanges and educational
activities.

Holdings

Keizo Shibusawa andthe Attic Museum

Organization Structure•

Director
Center Research Council
Steering Committee
Administration OfficePublications•

Graduate School of History
and Folklore Studies

Curator Course

Steering Committee Chair
Steering Committee
Intramural Steering Committee
Administration Office

ICFCS

Keizo Shibusawa (1896-1963) was born as a
grandson of entrepreneur Eiichi Shibusawa. He
served as the Governor of the Bank of Japan during
the Second World War and Minister of Financein the early postwar years. He was interested in
the history of jomin, and in 1921 built the “Attic
Museum” in the roof space of his garden shed tostore and exhibit his collection of traditional toysand mingu. A number of fellow researchers joined
him in advancing mingu studies, provincial studies
or research on the history of fisheries. The spirit of“harmonious development” advocated by Keizo
Shibusawa continues to the present day.

Director
Academic Staff Council
Steering Committee
Administration Office

Cooperation with Graduate School and Curator Course
Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies, Kanagawa University
Kanagawa University Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies is an educational arm of ISJFC. Here, education and research
activities are carried out in close relation with ISJFC and the Research Center for Nonwritten Cultural Materials.
Curator Course
ISJFC also supports the operation of the Curator Course, which provides basic and practical training on collecting, compiling, studying,and exhibiting materials at museums to develop curators specializing in the handling of mingu and historical documents.
ISJFC

1

Members of ISJFC[KEY]
Name (Position)
I : Title
II : Area of Expertise *As of November 2018

SEKIGUCHI Hiroo
I : Associate Professor, Graduate School of History and
Folklore Studies, Kanagawa University
II : Early Modern Japanese History

HIRAI Makoto

SENSUI Hidekazu (Executive Board Member)

I : Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences, Kanagawa University
II : Human Geography, Regional Geography

I : Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Kanagawa
University
II : Social Anthropology

HIROTA Ritsuko

SHIITADA Atsushi

I : Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Kanagawa
University
II : Chinese Ritual Ceremonies, Chinese Ritual Performing
Arts, Chinese Folklore

I : Associate Professor, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Kanagawa
University
II : Modern Japanese History, History of Ryukyu

KON Masaaki

SUZAKI Fumiyo

I : Project Professor, Graduate School of History and Folklore
Studies, Kanagawa University
II : Folklore, History of Boats and Ships

I : Fixed-term Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering,
Kanagawa University
II : History of Housing in Modern Times, History of Kitchen,
History of Modern Architecture

MAEDA Yoshihiko (Executive Board Member)

TAKAGI Ryo

I : Professor, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Kanagawa University
II : Ancient Japanese History

I : Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Kanagawa
University
II : Cultural Anthropology, Southeast Asian (Thai) Studies

OKAWA Hiromu

UCHIDA Seizo (Director)

I : Associate Professor, Graduate School of History and
Folklore Studies, Kanagawa University
II : Modern Japanese history

I : Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University
II : Architectural History

OGUMA Makoto (Executive Board Member)

YASUDA Tsuneo

I : Professor, Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies,
Kanagawa University
II : Folklore, Comparative Cultural Studies

I : Project Professor, Faculty of Law, Kanagawa University
II : Modern Japanese History, Oral History

SANO Kenji

YASUMURO Satoru (Executive Board Member)

I : Professor, Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies,
Kanagawa University
II : Folklore

I : Professor, Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies,
Kanagawa University
II : Folklore (subsistence economy, environment), Material
CulturePlease refer to our website for the latest information.

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Members of ISJFCISJFC

History of ISJFC
The Attic Museum Society founded in 1921 was renamed Institute for
the Study of Japanese Folk Culture during Wold War II. Later, it became
part of Kanagawa University in 1982 and has collected materials frommany sources on the history, culture, and everyday life of the ordinary
people of Japan, achieving special note in fisheries history. Detailed
history is published on the ISJFC website.

1921 Keizo Shibusawa founded the Attic Museum Society with his friends. They collected and exhibited biological specimen and mingu, such

Activities

Members of the Attic Museum “wearing” mingu
Catalogue number: -78-12

as local folk toys, in Shibusawa’s garden shed.

1925 The first ‘attic renaissance’ meeting was held and the organization was named ‘Attic Museum’
1935 Research groups were organized: Group I (study sessions held every Saturday); Group II (mingu research); research group on fishinghistory, group for compilation of historical documents of Uchiura (Izu), etc.

1936 Proposal to open a folk science museum in Hoya. The entire collection of the Attic Museum was donated to the Folk Science Association.
1942 Attic Museum was renamed Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culturecollection, cataloging, and hand-copying of materials were carried out at a branch office located within the Tokai National Fisheries
Research Institute in Tsukishima, Tokyo.

1950 Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture became an incorporated foundation

Holdings

1949 ISJFC was commissioned by the Fisheries Agency for research and conservation of fishing-related documents and materials. Survey,

1955 Tsukishima Branch Office closed
1963 Keizo Shibusawa deceased in October
1964 “Emakimono ni yoru Nihon Jomin Seikatsu Ebiki (Pictopedia of Everyday Life in Japan from Picture Scrolls, 5 volumes)” published as anannex to “Nihon Emakimono Zenshu. (Complete Collection of Japanese Picture Scrolls)” by Kadokawa Corporation

1968 Launch of first issue of “Mingu Monthly”
1972 ISJFC moved to a condominium in Ninohashi, Mita, Tokyo
Folk Culture was established in July.

1982 ISJFC as an incorporated foundation was dissolved in March 31. Research started on historical materials of the Futagami Family of
Ehime Prefecture.

1984 Research started on historical materials of the Tokikuni Family of Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Publications

1981 A committee for incorporation of ISJFC was set up in Kanagawa University. Kanagawa University Institute for the Study of Japanese

1986 Launch of “Rekishi to Minzoku (History and Folk Customs)” (Kanagawa University Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture)
1992 Establishment and accreditation of Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies affiliated to ISJFC.
2002 Opening of the jomin reference room; special exhibition Emakimono kara “Jisho wo tsukuru”—Nihon Jomin Seikatsu Ebiki no Sekai(Creating a “dictionary” from emakimono [picture scrolls]—a pictopedia of the everyday life of the Japanese)

2003 “Systematization of Nonwritten Cultural Materials for the Study of Human Society” proposed by Kanagawa University was adopted as
ICFCS

21st Century COE Program by MEXT

2008 Research Center for Nonwritten Cultural Materials was opened to carry on the work of the COE Program.
2009 International Center for Folk Culture Studies was launched as a joint usage/research center based on ISJFC
2011 ISJFC and the Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies jointly worked to salvage and conserve materials related to Kesennuma
Oshima Fisheries Cooperative Association damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake2013 March. Opening of the ISJFC Exhibition Room in new Building 3. A permanent collection on the ISJFC history and the first special
exhibition “The Shipwright Tomoichiro Kondo’s World of Japanese Boat Models”

2014 Renewal of the accreditation of the International Center for Folk Culture Studies (ICFCS) as a joint use/research center (April 1, 2014
to March 31, 2020)2016 Dedication ceremony of the Kesennuma-Oshima Fishing Cooperative Library

History of ISJFC

3

Activities
Projects
1. Publication of Research Findings• Institute of Korean Cultural Heritage, Chung-Ang University, South
Korea (July 14, 2012)• Institution for Marine and Island Cultures (MIC), Mokpo National
University, South Korea (April 1, 2011)• Youngnam Culture Institute, Kyungpook National University, South
Korea (December 28, 2009)• Institute for Maritime Culture, Pukyong National University, South
Korea (December 25, 2009)• Institute of Oceanic Culture, Ocean University of China, China(November 24, 2009)• Ocean Culture and Economic Research Center, Shanghai Ocean
University, China (November 20, 2009)•

The 21st Folk Cultural Studies Seminar (December 2017)

Research findings are continually publicized through various
publications, seminars, workshops, or databases and otherinformation on the ISJFC website.
2. Collection of Historical Documents
Historical documents collected during field survey are compiled
and catalogued with the cooperation of the owners.
The compilation and cataloguing of ISJFC’s own collections
is also in progress.
3. Institute Seminars
Occasional seminars have been held since 1983 to share researchfindings among the members of the Institute. External specialists
are also invited to read their paper. Open to public. A total of
116 sessions have been held by June 2018.
4. Joint Projects with Other Institutions
ISJFC collaborates with various institutions in different regions
and different research fields.
• Yokohama History Museum, Wajima City Board of Education(Ishikawa), Miyake Municipal Board of Education, National ResearchInstitute of Fisheries Science, Japan Fisheries Research and Education
Agency, the Society for Mingu of Japan

5. Academic Exchange
Academic exchange agreement
ISJFC conducts academic exchange with the following overseas
institutions to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation
in folk culture studies:•• Institute of Oceanic Culture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan(June 28, 2017)• China Marine Culture Research Center, Zhejiang Ocean University,
China (May 25, 2016)• Center of Japanese Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (April 1,
2012)

4

Projects

East Asia Island and Ocean ForumThe East Asian Island and Ocean Forum was launched in 2012
with research institutions in Korea, China and Japan. The hostinstitution rotates annually among the three countries. The
5th forum Maritime Culture and Diversity was hosted by the
Kanagawa University International Center for Folk Culture
Studies/ Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture.

•

Network of Five University Institutes
Aspiring to advance the achievements and philosophy of the threegreat scholars in the field of folklore studies, Kunio Yanagita,
Shinobu Orikuchi, and Keizo Shibusawa, the following five
university institutes have formed a network and had occasional
research meetings since 2008.
• Institute of Folklore Studies, Seijo University• The Memorial Institute of Dr. Orikuchi, Kokugakuin University• Community Research Institute, Aichi University• Anthropological Institute, Nanzan University• Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University

6. Research Center for Nonwritten Cultural Materials
Research Center for Nonwritten Cultural Materials wasestablished and attached to the Institute to develop the 21stCentury COE Program “Systematization of Nonwritten
Cultural Materials for the Study of Human Society.” With thefocus on the forms of human activity that are not expressed by thewritten word, the Center is dedicated to the study and collectionof nonwritten cultural materials. The Center put particulareffort into the dissemination of knowledge of the nonwritten
cultural materials to the international research community.
7. International Center for Folk Culture Studies
International Center for Folk Culture Studies is a MEXTaccredited joint use/research center for which ISJFC serves as
the base. In the age of globalization, ICFCS seeks the coexistenceof diverse cultures by establishing a methodology for research on
everyday life of the ordinary people. (Refer to page 13 for details)

ISJFC

Research

Main research themes
Comprehensive Surveys of Local Communities
Surveys of rural villages and other local communities grasp thecommunity as a whole and discover how people create culture
and history through interaction with nature. These surveys
provide a foundation for local history and studies of folk culture.

The History of FisheriesStudies on fishery and fishing villages encompass interpretationof historical documents, analyses of fishing tools, and interviewson the local techniques of fishing and shipbuilding. Researchmaterials collected by ISJFC when it was an incorporated
foundation have been extensively utilized.
Activities

Mingu Studies
Research focusing on the relation of folk implements and local
history. Findings are shared through the publication of “Mingu
Monthly.”
The Management of Documents and Mingu
Research on overall management (including compilation, recording,repairment, preservation and maintenance) of historical documents
and mingu.
The History of the Attic Museum and the ISJFC
Research on past activities and research materials of the Attic
Museum and the ISJFC.

Holdings

Futagami Island in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, is the target area of thejoint research project: History and Folk Culture of Futagami Island with Particular
Focus on Futagami-Family

Ongoing Projects
Joint research project:

Joint research project:

The Development of Field Sciences in Japan: Reflections
from the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture
Archive Materials

History and Folk Culture of Futagami Island with Particular
Focus on Futagami Family

Publications

At San Pa Tong village in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. Followup survey of the 1957 Ethnological Expedition for South-Eastern
Asia by the Japan Society of Ethnology’s (March 2017)

Duration: from 2016− Project Leader: MAEDA Yoshihiko[Geographical scope] Futagamijima Island, Matsuyama City, Ehime
Prefecture[Purpose] We are attempting a new approach to the history and folk
culture of Futagami Island, which has been the long term focus of ISJFC
research activities.
1. Examine documents on the Futagami Family in the Awai district,Matsuyama City, and reveal multiple aspects of the family’s
activities in the Middle Ages.
2. Make further progress in organizing and interpreting documents
pertaining to the Futagami Family in the Early Modern Age toprovide a better understanding of the activities of the family during
this period.
3. Investigate and analyze the activities of the Society for the Study ofthe Futagami Family Record and reveal its social significance.
Research

5

ICFCS

Duration: 2016− Project Leader: SENSUI Hidekazu[Geographical scope] The locations where research was conductedby the Shibusawa Foundation for Ethnological Studies (Minzokugaku
Shinko Kai) and the Attic Museum.
[Purpose] This is a joint research project based on materials passed
on to the Institute from the Shibusawa Foundation for EthnologicalStudies, along with the Attic Museum’s photographs and films. In
particular, the project will conduct follow-up surveys and collectinformation associated with previous research. It will coordinate theeffective use of the materials between the institutions possessing thesematerials of the same origin. Through these efforts we aim to establish a
fresh view of the development of field science.

Historical Documents: Futagami Family Collection(owned by ISJFC)

Ongoing Projects
Joint research project:

Comprehensive Studies on the Landscape and History of
Sea Area and Seaside Community

histories to the study of Japanese communities in South America. The
investigation aims to cast light on the everyday lives of Japanese settlers
with an emphasis on field studies; it will also document their material
culture such as folk artifacts and architecture, and examine privatelyowned materials in Japanese settlements.
Commissioned Research:

Map of the Kanagi (Japanese sandlance) fishing grounds (present-day
Shiotsu town, Izumo City, Shimane
Prefecture: owned by ISJFC)

Publication and Preservation of Miyake Village Local
Historical Materials

Duration: 2015− Project Leader: YASUMURO Satoru[Geographical scope] The coastal villages and their fishing grounds

depicted on the fishing grounds maps possessed by ISJFC, including
Oshima Island in Kesennuma (Miyagi Prefecture) where a special joint
research is conducted.
[Purpose] The main purpose of this joint project is to conduct
interdisciplinary research on the history and culture of sea area andseaside community based on the landscape depicted in the illustrated
fishing ground maps and by utilizing the human resources of ISJFC.
The project aims to develop a new methodology that uses image analysis
as the starting point.
Project Research Center:

The Kesennuma-Oshima Fishing Cooperative Library(Management and practical use)

An interview with islanders(November 2017)

Duration: 2017 to 2018 (continuous) Project Leader: UCHIDA Seizo[Geographical scope] Miyakejima Island, Tokyo[Purpose] As part of the research project commissioned by Miyake
Village, members visit the island to examine and organize the village’s
folk materials, which will be studied, published and preserved. Activities
involve compiling a catalogue of the materials held by the Miyakejima
Folk Museum and also interviewing senior islanders about local
livelihoods and customs, which will be gathered into books of oral history.
Commissioned Research:Compilation of Catalogues of Historical Documents
Possessed by the Japan Fisheries Research and
Education Agency

The Oshima Fishing Cooperative
Library

Duration: 2016− Project Leader: UCHIDA Seizo[Geographical scope] Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture[Purpose] As part of the conservation and restoration of materials
owned by the Kesennuma-Oshima Fishing Cooperative, we sorted
and classified over 4,000 items for storage in the Oshima Fishing
Cooperative Library, which was completed in September 2015.
The Library not only conserves the Fishing Cooperative collection but
also serves as a research base for ISJFC, the Graduate School of History
and Folklore Studies and other groups. The library is expected to fulfill
its expanding role as a base for promoting the culture of Oshima Island
under the management of “Oshima Gyokyo Bunko no Kai” (Friends of
the Oshima Fishing Cooperative Library).
[Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research B]

Social History of Japanese Colonies in Brazil

Examination of documents
at the Wakayama Prefectural
Archives (January 2017)

Duration: 2017 to 2018 Project Leader: YASUMURO Satoru[Geographical scope] Shimotsu Town, Kainan City, Wakayama
Prefecture[Purpose] Compilation and cataloging of the materials collected by
ISJFC on commission from the Fisheries Agency during 1949–1955,
which is now carried out as a project commissioned by the Fisheries
Research Agency. Field research is being conducted in relation to thecataloging work and explanatory comments are added to the catalogued
materials.

Joint Research Achievements
Research reports and catalogues are being edited for the following
completed joint research projects.

• Joint research project: History and Folklore of Setonaikai[Geographical scope] Futagamijima Island, Matsuyama City, Ehime

House of a Japanese resident in Registro(Suzu Okiyama residence / designated ascultural property in 2010)

Duration: 2015 to 2019 Project Leader: SANO Kenji[Geographical scope] Settlements and communities of Japaneseimmigrants in Brazil, particularly those in the State of Sao Paulo.
[Purpose] The project applies the perspectives and research methods
established through our studies of East Asian folk cultures and6

ResearchPrefecture• Joint research project: Comprehensive Studies of Oyamazaki
Manor in Yamashiro Province[Geographical scope] Oyamazaki-cho, Otokuni-gun, Kyoto Prefecture• Joint research project: Research on the Okunoto region[Geographical scope] Wajima City, Ishikawa

ISJFC

Exhibition
Exhibition Room of the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University(Exhibition contents change about once a year.)

DATA
Kanagawa University Yokohama Campus Building
3; Kanagawa University Exhibition Hall
Exhibition Room of the Institute for the Study ofJapanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University

Activities

The Exhibition Room introduces the history of our activities
spanning more than 90 years, from the inception of the Attic
Museum Society in 1921, along with the activities of theInstitute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture before and afterWorld War II, and its incorporation into Kanagawa University.
Exhibitions featuring cultural material are also held, with theexhibition in 2018 focusing on koema (small votive plaques).

[Opening hours] Monday–Saturday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
*Please enter by 4:30 p.m.
[Closed on] Sundays, national holidays, days designatedby the University, and Saturdays when classes are not held.

The koema exhibition held in
the first semester of 2018

Starting with the Ocean—Discoveryof “Zushu Uchiura Gyomin Shiryo(Materials on Fisher Folk in Uchiura, Izu)”“Setonaikai—Findings from
Futagamijima Island”

Panels of the project to preserve
historical materials on fishingregulations and displays of koema

The collection can be searched andaccessed using the PC terminals.

Holdings

Panels depicting the transition of
the Institute’s activities

Entrance to the Exhibition Room

Full-size Partial Replica of Bezaisen Created by Tomoichiro Kondo
The mast section of a full-size model bezaisen ship of 15-ton load capacity which
was created by shipwright Tomoichiro Kondo is displayed in the basement lobby of
Building 3. This wasen (traditional Japanese ship) model inspires us to think about
our relationship with the ocean and its importance in our culture; we also plan to
exhibit photographs of a sailing bezaisen ship.

Publications

Yokohama Campus Building 3;
Kanagawa University Exhibition
Hall

Repair Workshop andStoreroom
Building 3 houses a workshop used to
repair historical documents, to sort andphotograph mingu, and to store them.

•Repair Workshop and Mingu Sorting RoomICFCSPractical training workshop on theapplication of backing to old documents•Storeroom
Front view of the mast section of the model ship

Back view of the model ship

Uke (bamboo
basket fish traps)
acquired by theformer ISJFC
foundation

Please refer to ISJFC website for information on future exhibitions as well
as details of past exhibitions.
Exhibition

7

Courses
Folk Cultural Studies Seminar (Jomin Bunka Kenkyu Koza)
The Folk Cultural Studies Seminarhas been held annually since 1997
with the objective of stimulating
Japanese culture research. Eachseminar focuses on a certain themein the everyday lives, culture, andhistory of jomin through lecturesand symposiums.

Mingu Forum
A training class to measure mingu artifacts
began in 1974 in association with mingu
research courses. The class took the formof a mingu research workshop in 2015 andbecame a forum in 2016. The forum
is held two or three times a year and isclosely coordinated with the publication
Mingu Monthly, with each forum plannedby the editing staff based on a popular
theme.

Practical Training Workshop for Restoration ofHistorical Documents
The workshop is held alongside the Folk
Cultural Studies Seminar to provide training
on the three basic steps of historical document
restoration work: recording and organizing,
repairing (mending and lining), and restoring(trimming and binding). Participants also learn
the technique of detaching the undercoat offusuma (paper sliding doors).

Seminars Held in FY 2017
21st Folk Cultural Studies Seminar
Futagami Island: Visiting its history and folk culture:
The Futagami Island investigation and the Institute for the Studyof Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University(December 9, 2017)

Panel discussion

Display of photographs
associated with Futagami Island

Training Workshop on Historical Document Restoration

1) Recording and disassembly of damaged historical documents
2) Repair (sewing / back-lining)3) Restoration (trimming and binding)4) Hands-on training for peeling off documents used as underlay offolding screens and sliding doors(March 11-12, 2018)

Repair and backing process.
Reinforcing old documents withwashi backing

Mingu forum3 Discussion of Ainu culture (May 31, 2017)

Ainu commerce in the northern regions and the society of the peopleof Honshu Island: garments made from tree fibers, Chinese silk, andsea otter pelts

Kazuyoshi Otsuka

Forum scene

Please refer to the ISJFC website for information on future seminars as well as details of past seminars.

8

CoursesISJFC

Holdings
Collection of Historical Documents and Cultural Materials

Historical Documents

Photographs and Films

Historical documents include(1) old documents owned by
the Institute and (2) copies ofhistorical documents taken on-site
during field research. Documents
belonging to (1) have been collectedby the Attic Museum and ISJFC;
the copies comprising (2) wererecorded on microfilm or as digital
photographs.

Attic Photos and Attic Films•
4,000 still pictures and films taken by keizo Shibusawa and othermembers of the Attic Museum, mainly recording folk customs of Japanand its overseas territories in the early Showa Period.
Yokohama Pictures•
Colored photographs depicting
Futagami Family Collection(owned by ISJFC)

Holdings

the city of Yokohama around thetime when its port was opened toforeign countries.

Hand-Copied Texts
Attic photo Nakanoshima no Sakanaodori (Fish dance of Nakanoshima),
photo by Teizo Esaki; catalogue
number: -10-86 (owned by ISJFC )Folk Materials

Hand-Copied Texts (owned by ISJFC)

Materials produced for ISJFC•
A map of the production process of forged steel products, consisting ofproducts at each stage created anew for the purpose of folk technology
research, and a collection of work clothes produced in one-fifth scale ofthe original size.

Documents of the Former ISJFC Foundation
Information on the operation of the former foundation covering over
90 years from its inception as the Attic Museum Society.
The documents include records transferred from the former foundation,
papers by Shuhei Uno and the Takeharu Kawaoka folklore studies
collection, and documents pertaining to the Shibusawa Foundation forEthnological Studies.

Paintings

Map of production process of forgedsteel products (produced for ISJFC)Work clothes produced in one-fifth
scale of original size (produced for
ISJFC)ICFCS

Ink and water color paintings collected or copied by the staff of the
Attic Museum mainly depict farming implements and farmer’s life.
“Shiki Kosaku Kodomo Yugi Zukan (Scroll of Cultivation and Children’s
Play in Four Seasons)” and five paintings of farm implements areavailable online. (For details please refer to page 10.)Materials collected by ISJFC•
Clothing, agricultural, household

and work goods and religious
items. Also, approximately 2,000
mingu items previously owned bymerchant families, 2,000 piecesof koema (votive tablets), and 300
handicraft pieces made using small
cuts of cloth.
Shiki Kosaku Kodomo Yugi Zukan (owned by ISJFC)

Publications

The fishing and fisheriesrelated manuscripts were
copied at the Tsukishima
Branch on commission
from the Fisheries Agency
from 1949 to 1955. These
hand-copied documents
cover all of Japan and werecompiled into around 1,900
volumes.

Activities

The diverse holdings of ISJFC are gradually being open for public access, starting from those that have been catalogued.
They are basically available for use for research purposes (prior notice required).
Our Kanagawa University Digital Archive website can be used to search for collection items, photographs and films,
and some of our paintings can be viewed on our Digital Collection of Paintings site. *For details please refer to page 10.

Koema (collected by ISJFC)

Holdings

9

Library Collection
The original holdings were collected when the Institute was an incorporated
foundation. These have been augmented by purchase, exchange, and donation since it
was transferred to Kanagawa University and currently number approximately 90,000
titles. Private collections include the Teizo Iyanaga ancient Japanese history collection
and the Takeharu Kawaoka and Noboru Miyata folklore studies collections. The
library holdings of Shibusawa Foundation for Ethnological Studies (Minzokugaku
Shinko Kai) were also transferred to the Institute when it was dissolved.
The total collections cover the fields of local history, folklore studies, ethnology,
history of fishing, and history of traditional technology. These can be searched andaccessed on the Kanagawa University Library OPAC.
Kanagawa University Library OPAC

Former collection of the Shibusawa Foundation forEthnological Studies

http://ufinity.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/?lang=english

Searching Our Collection
The Kanagawa University Digital Archive allows access to our archives and viewing of video footage; some of our paintings can be examinedon the Digital Collection of Paintings page on the Institute’s website. Both sites have links from the top page of the website.
http://jominken.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/en
Click on banners

Search able “Digital Archive”
Bibliographic information on research papers, photographs and pictopedias, indexes and enlarged
images of historical documents and other materials, and video footage can be viewed.

Provides access to detailed catalogue
information and images

Enlarged images of photos and PDFs ofhistorical documents can be viewed.

Video footage can be replayed.

Digital Collection of Paintings
Shiki Kosaku Kodomo Yugi Zukan (Scroll of Cultivation and Children’s Play in Four Seasons)and all five works of Paintings of Farm Implements can be viewed on our website.

Shiki Kosaku Kodomo Yugi Zukan

The painting is 7.8 m in length and can be viewed byscrolling and enlarging the images.

10

Library collection

Paintings of Farm Implements

Paintings of farm implements in Hiroshima;
turn the pages to view / images can beenlarged

Paintings of farm
implements in Yamashiro
and Tamba

Gunma Prefecture’s
handbook of farm
implements

Paintings of farm
implements in Nishimuro
Country, Wakayama
Prefecture

Paintings of farm
implements in Hidaka
Country, Wakayama
PrefectureISJFC

Publications
ISJFC issues the two periodicals: Rekishi to Minzoku (History and Folk Customs) and Mingu Monthly. ISJFC
Occasional publications include Kanagawa Daigaku Nihon Jomin Bunka Sosho (Japanese Folk Culture Monographs),
Chosa Hokoku (Reports on commissioned research), and Chosa Shiryo Mokuroku, (catalogues of materials acquired
through field studies).

Activities

Rekishi to Minzoku (History and Folk Customs)
First issued in 1986, Rekishi to Minzoku has been the ISJFC academic bulletin;each issue includes research papers, introduction of cultural materials, and reports
on seminars and public symposiums organized by ISJFC. It is issued annually andhas reached its 34th issue as of 2018.
*The periodical can be purchased through Heibonsha.

Holdings

Vol.34
Photograph / Mabuni June, 23(Toyomitsu Higa)

Vol.32Vol.33Publications

Mingu Monthly

ICFCS

Inaugural issueVol. 16 No. 6

Vol. 32 No. 2

Vol. 51 No. 2

Mingu Monthly focuses on research in mingu and material culture with its No. 602 issue published in May 2018. It was launched forthe purpose of establishing mingu studies and has served as a platform for academic exchanges among mingu scholars. Mingu Monthly
stimulated the activities of mingu research groups across the country, which led to the founding of the Society for Mingu of Japan in 1976.

Back issues can be accessed on the ISJFC website.
Publications

11

Monographs, Research Reports, Catalogues, etc.

Kyodo Kenkyu “Setonaikai no Rekishi Minzoku” (Joint research “History and Folklore of
Setonaikai”), photograph collection, collection of materials from the Middle Age, folklore
studies reports, annals) 1-9
Okunoto to Tokikunike (Tokikuni Family in the Okunoto Area), 3 volumes of document
collections and survey reports and 2 volumes of research articles based on a coordinated field
program.
Jomin Shiryo Sosho (Japanese Folk Document Monographs), nos.1-2.
Kanagawa Daigaku Nihon Jomin Bunka Sosho (Japanese Folk Culture Monographs), nos.1-7.
Kokusai Jomin Bunka Kenkyu Sosho (International Center for Folk Culture Studies Monographs)
1-12
Kanagawa Daigaku Nihon Jomin Bunka Kenkyujo Shozo Shiryo Mokuroku (Catalogue of Material
Collection of the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University) 1-6
Kanagawa Daigaku Nihon Jomin Bunka Kenkyujo Chosa Shiryo Mokuroku (Catalogue ofMaterials from Field Studies by the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa
University) 1-6
Wajimashi Machino-chiku Kankei Komonjo Mokuroku (Catalogue of Historical Documents of
Machino District, Wajima City) 1-5
Suisan Sogo Kenkyu Senta Shozo Komonjo Mokuroku (Catalogue of Historical Documents Heldby Fisheries Research Agency) 1-11
Suisan Kenkyu / Kyoiku Kiko Shozo Komonjo Mokuroku (Catalogue of Historical Documents
Held by the Fisheries Research Agency) 12-13
Kanagawa Daigaku Nihon Jomin Bunka Kenkyujo Chosa Hokoku(Reports on Field Studies by the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa
University) 10-24
Kokusai Jomin Bunka Kenkyu Kiko Kyodo Kenkyu (shorei) Chosa Hokokusho (International
Center for Folk Culture Studies Joint Research Report; incentive project) 25-27
Kanagawa Daigaku Nihon Jomin Bunka Kenkyujo nenpo (Annual Report of the Institute for the
Study of Japanese Folk Culture, Kanagawa University) 2014-2017
Umi to Hinogyomin (Ocean and Non-farming People) with CD of lecture
Komonjo no Hoshu to Toriatsukai (Repair and Handling of Historical Documents)
Emakimono ni yoru Nihon Jomin Seikatsu Ebiki (Pictopedia of Everyday Life in Japan from
Picture Scrolls), New Version, 5 volumes.
Video “Futagamijima (Futagamijima Island)” 1-3

12

Monographs, research reports, catalogues, etc.

ISJFCInternational Center for Folk Culture Studies
The International Center for Folk Culture Studies, its parent body being the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk
Culture, Kanagawa University, was accredited in 2009 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT) as a joint use/research center. The Center was reaccredited in 2014 and is currently engaged in its
second term of activities.

Activities

Public Invitation for Joint ResearchInternational Center for Folk Culture Studies invites joint research proposals in order togive access to and share its material collections and databases with the wider researcher
community and to expand and deepen research fields. Funding is provided for “general”
research projects on the following research themes:
1. Research on the history of maritime areas and people
2. Research on mingu materials
3. Research on the material collections of the ISJFC
4. Research on folk culture

Joint research project (general project) Fundamental
Research on Functional Analysis of Mingu
Examination of mingu (Yamaguchi Folk Museum,
Tokorozawa City / December 2017)

Ongoing Joint Research Projects“General” projects“Incentive” projects

1. Research on the history of maritime areas and people (FY2018-2020)• An Ethnographical Study of Traditional Female Divers in Taiwan
Called Hailu, with the Aim of Developing Research on Traditional
Female Divers in East Asia and the Pacific Rim• Comprehensive Study of Archival Documents on a Kumano Pirate
Clan—the Koyama Family (FY2018-2019)

2. Research on mingu materials (FY2017-2019)• Fundamental Research on Functional Analysis of Mingu• Acceptance and Use of Folklore Studies by the Young Generation in
the Prewar Showa Period (FY2017-2018)

The International Center for Folk Culture Studies presents reports on joint research results through joint research forums, international
research forums, and in its publications. Please refer to our website for the latest information.
Joint Research Forum

Publications• 4th Forum: Reevaluation of Research by the Attic Museum on the
History of Fisheries: The Reality of “harmonious development”(July 7, 2018)
Joint research project (general project) Research on the Activitiesof the Shibusawa Fisheries History Laboratory in the Prewar Period• Joint research projects“General” projectInternational Center for Folk Culture Studies Monographs 12
Comparison of Traditional Wooden Boat Building and SailingTechniques of East Asia
[Including Documentary Photograph CD] (issued March 2018)

Please refer to our website for detailed information on the Center. http://icfcs.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/en
ICFCS

13

ICFCS

International Research Forum• 20th Forum: Folk Cultural Studies Seminar / International
Research Forum
Okinawa in Transition: from World War II to Occupation, andShimakutuba (Okinawan Dialect) to Okinawan Rock Music(December 10, 2016)• Joint research projects “Incentive” project
Reports on Field Studies by the Institute for the Study of Japanese
Folk Culture No. 26(International Center for Folk Culture Studies joint research project[incentive project] research
report)Basic Study on the
Research Activities of
the Attic Museum:
Examination, Analysis andFolkloristic Observations
on Oki Research(issued February 2018)

Publications

Dissemination of Research Results

Forum scene

Holdings

ICFCS also invites “incentive” joint research proposals with an aim to encourage research
activities by researchers residing in local communities.

Access
Yokohama
Kami-Asou Line

Doutor Coffee

Bank
Rokkakubashi Nishimachi(Kanagawa Daigaku Shita)

Kanagawa Daigaku
Iriguchii t
ash tric
kub Diskka ing
RohoppS

Rokkakubashi

Barbershop

Convenience
Store
West GateBank

Rokkakubashi
East Gate

Yokohama Campus

For Shibuya

McDonald’s

Higashi Hakuraku
StationMain Gate

Hakuraku
StationTokyu Toyoko Line
(Interdirect to Minatomirai Line)

Convenience StoreFor Motomachi Chinatown

INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF JAPANESE FOLK CULTURE
KANAGAWA UNIVERSITY
Address: 3-27-1, Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa,221-8686, JAPAN
Telephone: +81-(0)45-481-5661
Email: jomin-office@kanagawa-u.ac.jp
URL: http://jominken.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/en
The Research Center for Nonwritten Cultural Materials

http://himoji.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/
International Center for Folk Culture Studies

http://icfcs.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/en/
Opening hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
Closed on: Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, other days when the
University is closed (including summer and winter vacation)
December 2018