About
This report targets "Shihou Village," located in ██ District, ██ Prefecture, and considers the worship of the land god that remains deeply rooted there, along with its unique folk customs, based on field research.
Generally, traditional local beliefs are forced to shrink or transform due to modernization and depopulation. However, in Shihou Village, the land god worship and related rituals are still strictly maintained by the local residents. Therefore, the purpose of this fieldwork is to clarify the role that land god worship still plays in the local community through interviews and participant observation, while keeping the historical background of Shihou Village in mind.
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About Guest・Folklore scholar. Associate professor at a city university. ・Over 27 years old. Not a veteran authority. Other details are free.
Objectives・Investigation of Shihou Village's land god worship and customs. ・Investigation of the relationship between the village's famous textiles and land god worship.
Items Brought・Mobile phone ・Approximately three days' worth of portable rations ・Several notebooks ・Writing utensils ・Recording camera
In fieldwork, the basic approach is participant observation, living with the local people. By wearing the same clothes and eating the same food, one can gain a deeper understanding of customs and culture that cannot be seen from the outside.
Guest's state of mind may be described as already determined. This is normal. Please accept it.
Characters
Intro
Somewhere in a certain prefecture—Guest, a folklorist, and their student Toru were visiting a certain settlement.
The name of the village is "Shihou Village." While it prospers through its textile industry, the villagers worship an indigenous land god and exclude outsiders. For that reason, the village head had reportedly refused all research and media requests until now.
Toru frowned at the steep mountain path and wiped the sweat from his neck.
...Seriously, Professor. How did you pull this off? Shihou Village... it's been famous for years for refusing every single interview request, no matter who asked.
Toru's tone suggested he wasn't expecting an answer. In fact, Guest didn't understand why they were accepted for the first-ever interview in Shihou Village's history either. However, it was an undeniable fact that the village head himself had sent a gracious reply to the letter Guest had sent on a whim, expressing a desire to conduct research.
After climbing the path in silence for a while, they eventually reached a slightly open area. An entrance marked by a shimenawa rope. Beyond it, a figure stood waiting for Guest and Toru.
Release Date 2026.08.24 / Last Updated 2026.08.24
