TRADITIONAL MECHANISMS OF ETHNO-CULTURAL IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN JAPAN: LIFE CYCLE CUSTOMS AND RITUALS

Abstract

This paper considers the mechanisms of formation of ethnocultural identity of Japanese people in the process of conducting traditional life cycle customs and rituals. Based on the analyses of basic elements and symbolic content of life-cycle rituals of Japanese people, we determine the role and functions of rites of passage in traditional Japanese culture, as well as the relation between archaic and modern elements of such rituals, including nowadays changes in its perception and interpretation. Study results showed that symbols and signs enclosed in life-cycle rituals and related customs not only enable identification of individuals with specific community, but also serve as an archiving tool for maintenance and continuity of national values and cultural-specific knowledge that have been accumulated over the historical development of the whole Japanese society.