5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
[MZZ44-P03] Collaborative projects with cultural and natural sciences through “The Saga of the Mishima in Izu province”
Keywords:Izu Peninsula Geopark, volcano, Izu-Mishima faith
UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGP) are an initiative that aims to protect geological heritage sites of international value, deepen understanding of the natural environment and local culture, and realize a sustainable society through education and regional development. be. The Izu Peninsula is located at the northern end of the Izu-Ogasawara arc, and has a unique geological history of moving from the south and colliding with Honshu as the Philippine Sea Plate moved northward. This area was designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2018 because it contains internationally valuable volcanoes and traces of tectonic movements. While the coastal areas are blessed with a warm climate influenced by the Kuroshio Current, the undulating mountainous areas derived from volcanoes have a cool and humid environment, giving rise to a diverse ecosystem. Due to this climate, it has become a node connecting the Izu Islands and Honshu, where people and goods have come and gone since ancient times, and a unique faith, history, and culture have been formed.
Global Geoparks, which initially started out as activities to protect geological heritage sites, began to include cultural heritage sites in their guidelines and recommendations at the time of certification examinations after becoming an official UNESCO project. Originally, the culture that has been nurtured in a particular land cannot be considered separately from the surrounding natural environment. A geopark covers an entire region, which has unique topography, geology, and ecology, and a culture that has been nurtured through the mutual influence of people and nature. It can be said that conveying this relationship is important in dealing with culture in geoparks.
Against this background, the Izu Peninsula UGGP entered into a collaboration agreement in 2023 with the Kokugakuin University Museum, which has accumulated research on the history, culture, and beliefs of the region. The purpose of the agreement was to utilize each other's research results, physical and human resources, and to participate in educational and dissemination projects. The main project was the special exhibition "The Saga of the Mishima in Izu province: The Burned Islands of Izu" and the related dissemination events. People discovered the work of the gods in natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and island building, and the works of the gods were valued by ancient nations, and have been disseminated as auspicious origins in tales of the creation of islands since the Middle Ages. This article introduces the Izu-Mishima faith, which was established and developed in this region under the strong influence of nature, from a natural scientific, Shinto and archaeological perspective.
The most significant result of this project was that research that had previously been carried out independently in each academic field, such as geology, archaeology, and Shinto studies, was linked together under the single theme of the Izu-Mishima faith. The Mishima deity originated from an eruption phenomenon in the Izu Islands, but its position and role changed in the course of the social situation, such as the transformation of the ritual system in ancient countries, and the place where the deity was worshiped also moved from the islands to Fuchu. I moved places. The politics and society of the time had a lot to do with this, but it has become clear that the temporary lull in volcanic activity on the islands was behind it. These can be said to be good examples of how the natural environment and phenomena of the time were reflected in history books, beliefs, and rituals. Through the development of this project, research that had previously been carried out independently in individual areas of the cultural and natural sciences has been fused under a single theme, leading to an organic connection.
Global Geoparks, which initially started out as activities to protect geological heritage sites, began to include cultural heritage sites in their guidelines and recommendations at the time of certification examinations after becoming an official UNESCO project. Originally, the culture that has been nurtured in a particular land cannot be considered separately from the surrounding natural environment. A geopark covers an entire region, which has unique topography, geology, and ecology, and a culture that has been nurtured through the mutual influence of people and nature. It can be said that conveying this relationship is important in dealing with culture in geoparks.
Against this background, the Izu Peninsula UGGP entered into a collaboration agreement in 2023 with the Kokugakuin University Museum, which has accumulated research on the history, culture, and beliefs of the region. The purpose of the agreement was to utilize each other's research results, physical and human resources, and to participate in educational and dissemination projects. The main project was the special exhibition "The Saga of the Mishima in Izu province: The Burned Islands of Izu" and the related dissemination events. People discovered the work of the gods in natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and island building, and the works of the gods were valued by ancient nations, and have been disseminated as auspicious origins in tales of the creation of islands since the Middle Ages. This article introduces the Izu-Mishima faith, which was established and developed in this region under the strong influence of nature, from a natural scientific, Shinto and archaeological perspective.
The most significant result of this project was that research that had previously been carried out independently in each academic field, such as geology, archaeology, and Shinto studies, was linked together under the single theme of the Izu-Mishima faith. The Mishima deity originated from an eruption phenomenon in the Izu Islands, but its position and role changed in the course of the social situation, such as the transformation of the ritual system in ancient countries, and the place where the deity was worshiped also moved from the islands to Fuchu. I moved places. The politics and society of the time had a lot to do with this, but it has become clear that the temporary lull in volcanic activity on the islands was behind it. These can be said to be good examples of how the natural environment and phenomena of the time were reflected in history books, beliefs, and rituals. Through the development of this project, research that had previously been carried out independently in individual areas of the cultural and natural sciences has been fused under a single theme, leading to an organic connection.