Territoriality by Folk Boundaries and Social-Geographical Conditions in Shinto-Buddhist, Catholic, and Hidden Christian Rural Communities on Hirado Island, Western Japan

Research on Hirado Island, Japan, reveals that folk boundaries—cognitive territorial markers shaped by religion—are maintained primarily by Shinto-Buddhist and Hidden Christian communities, while Catholic communities lack such boundaries due to their historical settlement patterns. These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between social-geographical conditions and territoriality, showing how factors like settlement form, community size, isolation, and social integration influence boundary formation. The study also demonstrates that Catholics, despite not constructing boundaries themselves, indirectly shape Shinto-Buddhist territoriality through their relative location and historical context. This work underscores the fluid nature of territoriality, challenging static models by emphasizing its correlated and dynamic character.

Satoshi, I. (2020). Territoriality by Folk Boundaries and Social-Geographical Conditions in Shinto-Buddhist, Catholic, and Hidden Christian Rural Communities on Hirado Island, Western Japan. Geographical Review of Japan Series B, 92(2), 51–71. https://doi.org/10.4157/geogrevjapanb.92.51