SANCTITY AND SANCTION IN COMMUNAL RITUAL - A RECONSIDERATION OF SHINTO FESTIVAL PROCESSIONS

Japanese society is characterized by an emphasis on harmony and self-r estraint as guiding principles of daily interaction. As a consequence, alcohol is often considered a necessary catalyst for promoting the op en expression of alternative viewpoints, though only in certain cultur ally prescribed contexts. A Shinto festival procession provides one su ch context. The bearers of a large, sanctified object ''purify'' thems elves with liberal amounts of sake, and their intoxicated condition co mbines with the sheer bulk of the object to lend an ominous uncertaint y to its movement. Since the object is perceived as being controlled b y the will of the deity, however, no one can be held responsible for a ny damages incurred during the procession. This type of ritual may thu s be considered an instrument of social sanction, affording the people a means of enforcing compliance with accepted norms or seeking retrib ution for perceived injustices.