江戶日本道祖神信仰的淵源、發展與特色

The Origins, Development and Characteristics of the Dōsojin Cult in Edo Japan

道祖神是日本農村的守護神，其性質有些像中國的土地公及朝鮮的將軍標。道祖神信仰在江戶日本（1603-1868）達全盛期，在全國各地均有道祖神石像或石碑，以本州的甲信越及關東地區最多。建立道祖神的主要目的是保佑村民子孫繁盛及旅客與朝聖者的平安，一年一度的道祖神祭亦給村民提供娛樂。
道祖神信仰是日本人運用中國元素豐富本土民間宗教的例子。雖然道祖神的概念跟中國的行神相近，日本文人雅士亦喜歡引用漢籍提倡道祖神的中國由來說，但中國元素跟日本本土的佛教、神道及民間習俗融合，令道祖神成為富有日本特色的民間信仰。日本學界對道祖神的研究頗多，多是集中某地域的實地調查。本研究以原始文獻為基礎，提供田野調查以外的研究視角，旨在加深對江戶時期道祖神信仰本質的認識及瞭解中國元素如何在日本民間信仰的形成中扮演一定的角色。

Dōsojin道祖神are guardian deities in rural Japan, whose na¬ture somewhat resembles local gods of the soil (tudigong土地公) in China and Jangseung長in Korea. The Dōsojin cult reached its heyday during the Edo period (1603-1868), when Dōsojin stone statues and steles could be found all over Japan, but were partic¬ularly popular in the Kōshinetsu and Kantōregions, both on the main island of Honshu. The primary purpose for erecting Dōsojin was to bless villagers with prosperous offspring and safeguard travelers and people on pilgrimage. The annual Dōsojin festival also provided entertainment for the villagers. The Dōsojin cult is an example of how Japanese people have utilized Chinese ele¬ments to enrich local folk beliefs. Although the concept of Dōsojin is quite similar to God of Travel in China，and Japanese scholars like to cite Chinese texts to promote a theory of their Chinese ori¬gins, the Dōsojin cult was indeed a fusion of Chinese elements, lo¬cal Japanese Buddhism and Shinto, and popular Japanese customs. As such, the Dōsojin cult became a part of Japanese folk religion, rich with unique Japanese characteristics. There has been quite a bit of research on the Dōsojin cult from Japanese scholars, much of it centered on fieldwork investigations of various locales. Based on primary sources and offering a research perspective beyond that of fieldwork, this study aims to deepen our grasp of the nature of the Dōsojin cult in Edo Japan and understand how Chinese el¬ements played a definitive role in the formation of Japanese folk beliefs.