Village Community (村社会)
The village community mainly means the social structure in a village.
Summary
Living surrounded by the sea, Japanese people are said to have been introvert since ancient times, and tend to make exclusive communication. Particularly in local villages, the tendency becomes strong, and there are still plenty of areas where an exclusive attitude is developed toward outsiders.
The village is originally a space separated from the outside world by placing something that drives out evil spirits on the access road, and the village members live under the same condition by earning a living through supply of resources required for everyday life, as well as by holding meetings and jointly organizing rites, festivals and annual events for maintenance of order under the unified will. The village community is characterized by a mutual aid system while having an internal economic hierarchy and a rating based on family lines, in addition to a youth organization to maintain the order of the village. One of the major characteristics is that people tend to prioritize old rules, which results in discriminating those who object or breach such rules by regarding them as mavericks, including their relatives and even persons having close relationships with them.
Newcomers and young villagers who are easily affected by trends rebel against this tendency, causing troubles often with old villagers.