Where the Mountain Breathes The Spirituality of the Law of Not Blocking the Ridge From the Early Modern Period to the Early 20th Century

Where the Mountain Breathes The Spirituality of the Law of Not Blocking the Ridge From the Early Modern Period to the Early 20th Century
In Itsuki Village, Kumamoto Prefecture, there remains a tradition that strictly forbids the placing of axes, saws, and other metal objects on ridges when working in the mountains. It was believed that the ridges were pathways for spirits called seko, and that disturbing them would disturb the order of the mountains and invite disaster. This prohibition indicates that mountain villagers living in a harsh natural environment viewed the mountains not merely as a resource, but as a spiritual space where invisible beings breathed. In the steep terrain of Gokimura, collapses, falling rocks, and sudden changes in weather constantly affected daily life, and reading the mood of the mountains was directly related to safety. The practice of not placing metal objects on the ridge, which was regarded as a passageway for spirits, was a practical wisdom born from a reverence for nature and an attitude of coexistence.
In mountain villages from the early modern period onward, people's livelihoods centered on obtaining the bounty of the mountains through slash-and-burn farming, logging, charcoal making, etc. Mountain work always involved a risky situation. In folklore, mountain deities, mountain lords, mountain children, and other such beings appeared, and it was said that breaking the rules would lead to disaster. The rule of not blocking ridges was a discipline to respect the invisible traffic of the natural world and to maintain harmony with the mountains. The idea of not disturbing the path of the wind, the path of animals, or the flow of fog is common to mountain worship throughout Japan.
The folklore of Itsuki Village tells of a time when the boundary between man and nature was blurred, and people lived in dialogue with nature through the medium of spirituality. Their concern for nature and their humble attitude toward it offer important insights that can be applied to our contemporary view of the environment.