| Abstract |
The customs of the first annual festival for girls in Yanagawa (hereafter referred to as "Hina Matsuri"; the doll's festival) are characterized by the Hina dolls and small, charming, handcrafted artic...les and splendidly embroidered mari (a traditional Japanese handball), called Yanagawa Mari. These handicraft works are collectively referred to as "sagemon." In recent years, Yanagawa's Hina Matsuri customs have been revived as a tourist attraction as part of the regional development initiative. As a result, sagemon, which were only displayed within homes in the community during the event, have become traditional handicrafts that delight tourists throughout the year. Because the customs of Hina Matsuri have become a source of tourist attraction, the demand for sagemon as souvenirs or products for local residents (ready-made goods) has increased rapidly. Subsequently, the traditional handicrafts that have been passed down by the Yanagawa women have been re-evaluated, revitalizing local sagemon production. This study uses the Yanagawa custom of Hina Matsuri, which is accompanied by the production of traditional handicrafts, as a case example. Through this example, the study will present the actual folk knowledge involved in the practice of traditional handicraft production, as it is a source for lifelong learning and a source of empowerment for middle-aged women. From a feminist perspective, handicraft activities by women are a form of oppression cleverly constructed by patriarchal domination and capitalism. Behind the tradition of sagemon production, which is centered on women, lies the history of female education in modern Japan in which handicrafts have been nationally standardized as techniques and knowledge appropriate for women. Even in Yanagawa, one can observe the female centric nature of handicraft activities and a history of national indoctrination. However, the actual site of sagemon production is filled with an atmosphere of fun and peacefulness, far from such oppression and indoctrination. Today, handicraft activities have spread among women as a leisure activity or hobby, but they are positioned as part of lifelong learning activities within social education. In the case of Yanagawa, sagemon production has the characteristic of being a local social activity conducted collaboratively, and going beyond the realm of personal leisure activities due to its direct and indirect involvement with tourism promotion. Viewing the present state of Yanagawa's handicraft activities as knowledge will reveal the reality of folk knowledge, which has been transformed into various types of resources within a local context pertaining to the region where the revitalization of the Hina Matsuri event is taking place. First, the general folk knowledge of the Hina Matsuri customs has become a tourism resource, through its reconstruction within the context of local development. Accompanying this is the revitalization of sagemon production in Yanagawa and expansion of its practitioners. Second, the knowledge of handicrafts, the technique and ability involved in the production of sagemon, which is limited to women, have become a gendered social station. Yanagawa handicraft knowledge also has characteristic properties unseen in other regions, thus making it restricted. Consequently, this knowledge possesses double-restrictions, rendering it even rarer, and as a result, it is increasing in value. The folk knowledge of Hina Matsuri customs was discovered in Yanagawa as a source for tourism and education for the region. Thus, it was utilized during reconstruction. The folk knowledge of the Hina Matsuri customs was reinterpreted within the local context of Yanagawa, leading to its active use as a lifelong learning resource well suited for local middle-aged women and not just a resource for tourism promotion. As a result, one can glean the process of knowledge transfer, or the re-contextualization of national knowledge concerning handicrafts to local knowledge, or from the knowledge of oppression to the knowledge of self-actualization for women.show more
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