The relationship between tekiya, shrines/temples, and fair days - details based on the historical background of the time.

The relationship between tekiya, shrines/temples, and fair days - details based on the historical background of the time.

The connection between shrines and temples and Ennichi has been established at the point where Japan's religious history and the lives of ordinary people overlap. Ennichi originally referred to specific days on which people were bound to the gods and Buddha, and began with people gathering on the days of pujas and rituals based on the religious calendar, such as the eighteenth day of Kannon, the twenty-fourth day of Jizo, and the twenty-eighth day of Fudo Myoo. As the number of visitors to the temple increased, peddlers and freak shows naturally gathered, and faith and commerce began to share the same space.

During the Edo period, temples and shrines were already functioning as public spaces in the city, and the precincts and gateways were half-authorized markets. The fairs were not only an act of faith, but also a place to obtain tools and entertainment necessary for daily life, and religion, local culture, and economic activity were inseparably linked. Temples and shrines welcomed the lively atmosphere created by the crowds, and the presence of stalls was accepted as a device to enliven the rituals.

From the postwar period to the period of rapid economic growth, this relationship changed dramatically. Urbanization and population concentration strengthened the character of hatsumode and festivals as local events, and fairs became more entertaining and consumptive. The street vendor business expanded, and a fee called "shobadai" was charged for the use of the location of the stall. This was not a mere top-up payment, but a practical economic system that included the cost of maintaining the grounds and approach to the shrine, cleaning, security, and even electricity for temporary power sources.

The relationship between temples and shrines and street vendors is by no means chaotic. The location, layout, and business activities of the stalls were coordinated in advance, and care was taken not to interfere with the progress of the puja or rituals. There was an unspoken rule to create a lively atmosphere while maintaining the sanctity of the religious space. This balance was supported by the coordination of local caretakers, temple and shrine officials, and tekiya organizations.

Since the 1990s, however, the relationship between temples and shrines and street vendors has been strained by the Violence Prevention Policy and increasing awareness of compliance by religious organizations. To avoid being suspected of having relations with antisocial forces, an increasing number of temples and shrines have restricted the number of stalls themselves, and the fair scene has become simplified. Nevertheless, the sense of exuberance and community that stalls bring to festivals is deeply rooted, and fairs continue to be remembered not as mere commercial events, but as cultural devices where faith and life intersect.

The relationship between tekiya, temples, shrines, and fairs is a remnant of a time when religion was not separate from people's daily lives, and conveys a slice of Japanese society in which faith, entertainment, and economy naturally coexisted.