Documents of Tockuchin-ho from Tonomura

Doc. no. 357, Eitoku 3 (1383).1.4

Concerning the headship [tō] of the Kechi ceremony, Imabori-gō new za members who have attended the za even once shall be appointed to the headship in accordance with the seating order.

For the headship of the Ninth Month Ninth Day ceremony, follow precedent.

• Paddy in Kōgatani belonging to the shrine should be assigned to the head of the Ninth Month Ninth Day ceremony.
• Concerning Sakonjirō and the headship of the Kechi ceremony: because he is inappropriate [hibun] to serve as the head [now], he will serve when the position rotates to him in the future.

Doc. no. 389, Ōei 4 (1397).6

The incumbent sexton [shōshi] shall not have to serve as the head of the Kō ceremony to assist with the monkey dance [sarugaku]. One mat each should be woven for the head of the Kō ceremony and for the sexton. Those items brought in by the shrine members [ujiko] from outside shall be offered to deities by the shrine priest [kannushi].

Doc. no. 365, Ōei 32 (1425).

Regulations stipulated by Imabori-gō za members:

• Do not close the wooden shutter of the prayer hall at your own discretion.
• Do not beat the drum at your own discretion.
• Do not dry your personal items [perhaps, dry grain] or gamble in front of the shrine buildings.
• Do not place boards [to reserve seats on the ground] at your own discretion.

Those who disobey these items shall be subject to a penalty of 300 mon. Those who continue to exercise private will [even after being penalized] shall be barred from the za for generations to come.

Doc. no.. 363, Entoku 1 (1489).11-4

Regulations set forth by Imabori residents [jige]

• Regardless of the size [or, the prestige] of the lineage, all shall deposit the proceeds from shrine land in the monastic office [anshitsu].
• Salt, miso, and miscellaneous items shall be prepared by the priest [kannushi]. The sō shall pay the expense.
• Firewood and charcoal belonging to the sō shall be used.
• Rice brought to the hearth shall be kept by the sō the sō shall then deliver 5 shō of rice to the priest [kannushi].
• Do not let a nonvillager [murabito nite naki mono] use a house rented from the so.
• A house shall not be divided into two [in default of mortgage payments or alternatively, Do not rent two houses from the sō
• Do not allow an outsider [tasho no hito] to stay here without a local guarantor.
• Disputes concerning boundaries between sō land and private land shall be settled by money.
• For taking leaves or cutting trees in the so forest, villagers [murando] shall lose murando status and non-murando shall be evicted from the village.
• Rice for the Kechi ceremony shall be handed over on the eighth day of the tenth month.
• Rice for the Ninth Month Ninth Day ceremony shall be handed over on the eighth day of the eighth month.
• Do not keep dogs.
• Do not serve as a middleman for a credit association [tanomoshi].
• For the New Year's purification [mushiro harai] ceremony, the so shall pay i to to the priest [kannushi].
• For the monkey dances held in the second and sixth months, so money in the amount of 1 kan shall be paid each time.
• Those who sell houses shall pay 3 mon to the so for each 100 mon of the sale price, or 30 mon for each kanmon. Any villager [murando] who breaks this rule shall be removed from the za.
• Those who hide the sale price of a house shall be punished.
• Do not pay out 3 mon [to the builders] for the sake that accompanies house construction.
• Sons adopted after age seven cannot become za members.
• Do not build a house to the east of the moat.