Paper short abstract

This paper examines how New Year shrine rituals shape the management of multi-shrine systems in contemporary Japan. From a human geographical perspective, it shows that rituals function as spatial constraints and that shrines operate as socio-spatial infrastructure under uneven demographic change.

Paper long abstract

This paper aims to clarify how New Year shrine rituals (saitan-sai) function as temporal and spatial constraints shaping the management capacity and spatial organization of multi-shrine systems (kenmu) in contemporary Japan, from a human geographical perspective.

In recent decades, population decline and aging have intensified the challenges of maintaining local religious facilities across Japan. At the same time, some areas have experienced population growth through suburban housing development. In such areas, shrine events often attract large numbers of participants, indicating that shrines function not only as religious institutions but also as public and communal spaces. Participation in shrine activities is not necessarily motivated by religious belief; rather, shrines serve as key nodes sustaining local community relationships.

This study focuses on Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, selected because it is one of the few municipalities in the region experiencing sustained population growth. The city is characterized by the coexistence of expanding residential areas and long-established rural settlements, making it suitable for examining shrine management under uneven demographic conditions. Fieldwork was conducted in mixed residential–agricultural areas and predominantly agricultural districts.

The analysis employs a mixed-methods approach, including participant observation of New Year rituals, interviews with shrine priests, shrine parish representatives (sōdai), and local residents, as well as GIS-based spatial analysis of population change and shrine distribution. By incorporating both clerical and community perspectives, the study examines shrine management as a socio-spatial practice.

The findings demonstrate that population growth does not automatically lead to increased participation in shrine rituals grounded in religious faith. Instead, the fixed timing and spatial sequencing of New Year rituals impose significant constraints on priests’ mobility, limiting the feasible number and spatial range of shrines managed by a single priest. Furthermore, locally embedded norms concerning shrine continuity restrict the consolidation or reduction of ritual sites, even under demographic change. By foregrounding ritual practices as spatial constraints, this paper contributes to human geography by demonstrating how shrines operate as socio-spatial infrastructure under uneven regional change.

Keywords

Human geography; shrine management; New Year rituals; community space; demographic change