【亚洲•日本】甑岛来访神 Koshikijima no Toshidon (2009年)

在日本民间信仰中，新旧交替的时候，一位神明来到我们的世界并带来祝福。每个新年除夕，日本群岛西南部的下甑岛上，都举行新年庆祝活动，甑岛“Toshidon”指的是拜访的神明。两到五名当地男子装扮成来访神（“Toshidon”），身穿饰有本土植物叶子的蓑衣，头戴恐怖怪异的面具――鼻子长而尖、尖牙特别大、恶魔般的触角。来访神行进着穿过村庄，敲打房门和墙壁召唤家中儿童，他们的家长已经把孩子们过去一年的顽皮淘气的表现提前告诉了拜访的人。来访神和孩子们一起坐下，责备他们犯下的错误，也宣扬好的行为。分别时的礼物是一个又大又圆的米糕，祝福每一个孩子在来年平平安安地成长。然后来访神倒退着走出房屋，行进到下一户人家。这些拜访在下甑岛的社团建设中起到重要的作用：儿童逐渐培养出一种与他们的村庄及其文化的联系或归属感，而那些扮演“Toshidon”的男子也加强了他们的悠久传统的同一性和延续性。

In Japanese folk beliefs, when the old and the new alternate, a God comes to our world and brings blessings. Every New Year's Eve, New Year's celebrations are held on Xiashima Island in the southwestern Japanese archipelago, where "Toshidon" refers to the visiting gods. Two to five local men dressed up as "Toshidon", dressed in rickshaws decorated with native plant leaves, and wore horrible and weird masks with long, sharp noses, especially large fangs and devilish antennae. Visitors march through villages and knock on doors and walls to summon their children, whose parents have told their visitors ahead of time about their naughty behavior over the past year. Visiting God sat down with the children, blaming them for their mistakes and preaching good deeds. The gift of parting is a big round rice cake. I wish every child a peaceful and safe growth in the coming year. Then the visiting God stepped backwards out of the house and marched to the next house. These visits play an important role in the community building of XiaZheng Island: children gradually develop a sense of connection or belonging with their villages and their cultures, while the men who play "Toshidon" also strengthen the identity and continuity of their long traditions.