본 논문에서는 일본의 세시풍속을 중심으로 대표적 연구관점을 개괄하고 이들 연구방법에 의해 구축된 이론적 성과를 파악하였다. 여타 민속에 비해 세시풍속은 복합적 문화양상을 나타내는 편이다. 이런 까닭 때문인지 일본의 세시풍속 역시 주변 영역과의 관련성을 토대로 연구되는 경향이 강하다. 이를테면 1959년에 출간된 『일본민속학대계』의 「연중행사」편을 보면 ‘역(曆)과 연중행사’『‘신앙과 연중행사’』‘농경(農耕)과 연중행사’ㆍ‘연중행사의 지역성과 사회성’ 등과 같이 관련영역과의 연계성을 지니면서 편성되어 있는 점이 주목된다. 세시풍속은 1년이라는 시간축에서 순차적으로 전개되고 있는데, 이러한 관점에 입각하여 ‘세시풍속의 양분성’에 대한 이론이 제시되고 있기도 하다. ‘세시풍속의 양분성’이란 1년을 기준으로 유사모티프를 가진 세시풍속이 대립적으로 배치되어 있다는 견해이다. 이를테면 세시풍속의 대표적인 것으로 오본[お盆]과 설날[正月]이 있다. 평면적 시간에 입각하면 이들은 7월 15일과 1월 1일에 각각 행해지는 독립된 습속이지만, 이들 모두 ‘조상숭배’라는 모티프를 갖고 있다는 유사성이 발견되는 것이다. 일본에서는 일상을 가리키는 용어를 ‘게’로 설정하고 비일상성을 ‘하레’로 표현하면서, 일본인의 생활은 ‘하레’와 ‘게’라는 이질적 생활 및 행동에 의해 성립된다는 견해가 보편적이다. 즉 ‘하레’라는 것은 신사 제례ㆍ사찰 법회ㆍ설날과 오본 등의 세시풍속 그리고 일생의례 등과 같이 비일상적 행위가 이루어지는 시간 및 공간을 뜻하고, ‘하레’ 이외의 일상생활은 ‘게’에 해당하는 것이다. 한편 세시풍속의 쇠퇴ㆍ소멸현상이 진행되는 가운데 90년대를 전후하여 ‘세시풍속의 변화’를 다룬 연구들이 등장하기 시작했는데, 이러한 경향은 최근까지 꾸준히 지속되고 있다. 여기에는 대략 두 가지 유형이 나타난다. 첫째는 전통마을에서의 세시풍속 변화양상을 다룬 연구이고 둘째는 도시지역의 세시풍속에 관한 연구이다. 이들 모두 세시풍속의 변화문제를 궁극적 목적으로 삼고 있다는 점에서는 일치하지만, 연구주제 및 방향에서는 뚜렷한 차이를 드러내고 있다. 전자의 경우에서는, 첫째 생활양식 및 의식 변화에 따른 세시풍속의 변천양상, 둘째 전승기반의 붕괴에 따른 세시풍속의 전승양상, 셋째 세시풍속의 전승과 행정기관의 개입, 넷째 세시풍속의 문화자원화 등의 주제가 두드러지고 있다. 반면 후자의 경우에는 뚜렷한 연구방향을 확보하지 못한 채, 단지 도시지역의 세시풍속을 대상으로 삼는 데에 머물러있는 실정이다. 그리고 이는 ‘도시민속학’이 안고 있는 근본적 문제이기도 하다.

This thesis summarized the representative study viewpoints centered on Japanese annual customs and grasped the theoretical accomplishments constructed by the study methods. Compared to other ethnic customs, annual customs show a feature of complex culture. Because of this, the Japanese annual customs are also studied based on the relationship with other areas. For example, according to the 「Annual Customs」 of 『Outline of Japanese Folklore』 published in 1959, the organization having a connection with relevant areas such as of ‘almanac and annual customs’ㆍ‘religious and annual customs’ㆍ‘farming and annual customs’ㆍ‘locality and sociality of annual customs’ is being highlighted. Annual customs are progressed in order of precedence from a time axis of 1 year. A theory on the ‘division of annual customs’ is being presented based on this point of view. The ‘division of annual customs’ is an opinion that annual customs with similar motives are oppositively arranged by a standard of 1 year. For example, the representative annual customs are Obon(お盆) and New Year’s Day. They are independent conventions performed each on July 15 and January 1, based on 2-dimensional time. However, a similarity of having a motive of ‘ancestor worship’ was discovered in both. In Japan, the term for dailiness is ‘Ge’ and non-dailiness as ‘Hare’. It is generally understood that the life of Japanese is established by heterogenous activities and behavior of ‘Hare’ and ‘Ge’. That is, ‘Hare’ means the time and space where non-dailiness behaviors such as annual customs like shrine sacrificial ritualsㆍtemple ceremoniesㆍNew Year’s Day and Obon, and the Rites of Life are done. Activities other than ‘Hare’ are all called as ‘Ge’. Lastly, as the annual customs are declining and disappearing, studies on ‘the change of annual customs’ started to appear before and after the 1990s. This trend is being continued to this day. There are about two types in this trend. The first is a study on the change of annual customs in a traditional village, and the second is research on that in the city. Their ultimate purpose of dealing with the change of annual customs is identical, but the studies show a significant difference in study theme and direction. As for the former, themes such as first- the change of annual customs depending on lifestyle and food, clothing changes, second- transmission of annual customs from the collapse of transmission basis, third- intervention of administrative organs in transmission of annual customs, and fourth- creating annual customs into cultural resources are distinguished. On the other hand, the latter has not been able to secure a clear study direction yet and remains at having the annual customs in the city as the study subject. This is also the fundamental problem of ‘urban folklore’.

This thesis summarized the representative study viewpoints centered on Japanese annual customs and grasped the theoretical accomplishments constructed by the study methods. Compared to other ethnic customs, annual customs show a feature of complex culture. Because of this, the Japanese annual customs are also studied based on the relationship with other areas. For example, according to the 「Annual Customs」 of 『Outline of Japanese Folklore』 published in 1959, the organization having a connection with relevant areas such as of ‘almanac and annual customs’ㆍ‘religious and annual customs’ㆍ‘farming and annual customs’ㆍ‘locality and sociality of annual customs’ is being highlighted. Annual customs are progressed in order of precedence from a time axis of 1 year. A theory on the ‘division of annual customs’ is being presented based on this point of view. The ‘division of annual customs’ is an opinion that annual customs with similar motives are oppositively arranged by a standard of 1 year. For example, the representative annual customs are Obon(お盆) and New Year’s Day. They are independent conventions performed each on July 15 and January 1, based on 2-dimensional time. However, a similarity of having a motive of ‘ancestor worship’ was discovered in both. In Japan, the term for dailiness is ‘Ge’ and non-dailiness as ‘Hare’. It is generally understood that the life of Japanese is established by heterogenous activities and behavior of ‘Hare’ and ‘Ge’. That is, ‘Hare’ means the time and space where non-dailiness behaviors such as annual customs like shrine sacrificial ritualsㆍtemple ceremoniesㆍNew Year’s Day and Obon, and the Rites of Life are done. Activities other than ‘Hare’ are all called as ‘Ge’. Lastly, as the annual customs are declining and disappearing, studies on ‘the change of annual customs’ started to appear before and after the 1990s. This trend is being continued to this day. There are about two types in this trend. The first is a study on the change of annual customs in a traditional village, and the second is research on that in the city. Their ultimate purpose of dealing with the change of annual customs is identical, but the studies show a significant difference in study theme and direction. As for the former, themes such as first- the change of annual customs depending on lifestyle and food, clothing changes, second- transmission of annual customs from the collapse of transmission basis, third- intervention of administrative organs in transmission of annual customs, and fourth- creating annual customs into cultural resources are distinguished. On the other hand, the latter has not been able to secure a clear study direction yet and remains at having the annual customs in the city as the study subject. This is also the fundamental problem of ‘urban folklore’.

Annual Customs, almanac, Annual almanac, farming almanac, daily almanac, urban folklore