Secret Space in Japanese Homes: Confinement Facilities for Dementia Patients?

Ubasuteyama is a famous oral legend passed down throughout Japan. The story tells of a son who takes his mother to abandon her on a mountain but eventually regrets it and brings her back home, demonstrating filial piety. Professor Na Haeng-ju explained, "Ubasuteyama means 'mountain for abandoning grandmothers,' and almost everyone in Japan knows this story."

This legend is considered an example of situations in human history where extreme choices had to be made to maintain the community. It offers a glimpse into the tragic past where the elderly had to be abandoned in extreme circumstances.

A shocking passage is recorded in letter 744 of the 'Oxyrhynchus Papyri' from ancient Hellenistic Egypt. A husband instructs his pregnant wife to raise their child if it's a boy, but to abandon it if it's a girl. Director Gwak Min-su emphasized about this letter, "If a child is born, if it's a son, raise him, and if it's a girl, abandon her," adding, "This is clear evidence that the infant abandonment custom, which I mentioned earlier as existing in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, truly existed."

This is concrete evidence showing that the custom of infant abandonment actually existed in ancient society. It is presumed that this tragic custom continued due to a combination of son preference and socio-economic conditions at the time.

A single papyrus fragment vividly testifies to a dark side of ancient society, providing crucial empirical evidence for historical research.

Professor Narikawa Aya shared her experience covering dementia (認知症, ninchi-shō) in Japan in the early 2010s, stating, "Even in the early 2010s, there were many stories about dementia patients, who were mothers or grandmothers, being confined in homes like prisons."

This reveals Japan's past culture where dementia was considered shameful, not disclosed to society, and family members were confined within the home. This is analyzed as a tragic case that occurred due to inadequate social support systems for dementia patients and heavy burdens on families at the time.

Recently, efforts to improve perception are being made in Japan, such as changing the term 'dementia' to 'ninchi-shō' (認知症). There is a movement to move away from past dark customs through social attention and institutional support.

Inside the pagodas of Korean Buddhist temples, there exists a secret space called 'sarigong'. Professor Kang In-wook said, "In Korea, we have hundreds of these secret spaces. They are the pagodas in temples," explaining that pagodas, as tombs for enshrining the Buddha's relics (sari), had sarigong built beneath their cornerstones to house relics or scriptures.

Sarigong are sacred spaces for safely preserving the Buddha's relics, precious scriptures, and supreme artifacts. Actual sarigong have been discovered in pagodas at various temples in Korea, such as the Hwangnyongsa wooden pagoda and the Bulguksa Seokgatap, revealing the artifacts enshrined within.

These secret spaces are a legacy that demonstrates not only religious reverence but also the sophistication of architectural technology at the time. The existence of sarigong reveals a special value of Korean architecture that combines faith and artistry, beyond mere physical space.

In the Ottoman Empire, there was a brutal custom where sultans, upon ascending to the throne, would kill their brothers or sons to secure power. However, from the time of Mehmed III, instead of such massacres, royals began to be isolated in confinement facilities called 'kafes'.

Professor Park Hyun-do explained, "When a sultan came to power, they would kill their brothers or sons. So, by the time of Mehmed III, they no longer killed them. Instead, there was a cage-like house where these dangerous individuals were gathered. It was called kafes, and they would be confined there."

Kafes were prison-like spaces where potential successors lived isolated from the outside world. This was a desperate measure by the sultans to prevent bloody massacres due to succession struggles while eliminating potential threats.

During the Joseon Dynasty, the women's quarters (gyubang) were strictly off-limits to men and outsiders, considered sacred spaces. Professor Kang In-wook mentioned the closed nature of Korean women's quarters, stating, "Our gyubang was actually a no-men's land, and outsiders were even less able to enter."

It is said that Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, who participated in the excavation of Seobongchong during the Japanese colonial period, regretted not being able to enter the women's quarters. This connection is said to have been the background for Sweden being the first to dispatch a hospital ship during the Korean War. There's also an anecdote that Gustav VI, after becoming king, gave a special mission to a nursing officer dispatched to Korea: to photograph the women's quarters.

Professor Narikawa Aya revealed, "In the most central building, there was a secret room in the deepest part of the basement. It was called Shogun-no-ma."

This secret room had a complex labyrinthine structure and secret passages, and was intended to provide refuge for Hideyori, son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, in case of an emergency. This shows how thoroughly the daimyo of Japan at the time prepared for their and their family's survival amidst wars and power struggles.

During the Edo period, it is suggested that similar secret spaces existed in the castles of regional daimyo. These spaces served as strategic strongholds beyond simple rooms.

MC Heo Jun introduced an anecdote about three heroes: "When asked, 'What would you do if a bird didn't sing?' Oda Nobunaga said he would kill it, Tokugawa Ieyasu said he would wait until it sang, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi said he would persuade it to sing." This anecdote represents each person's upbringing and philosophy, and is evaluated as an episode that clearly shows their leadership styles and personalities.

During the Muromachi period, some temples, such as Shōryakuji, even produced sake. At that time, temples grew beyond mere religious institutions to become armed groups with economic and military influence. Professor Narikawa Aya mentioned, "Even in previous eras, Shōryakuji was nearly destroyed several times, and because temples were such a terrifying entity, those in power tried to burn them down," explaining that authorities took measures like burning temples to check their power.

Tokugawa Ieyasu used a different strategy to control the political and economic power of these temples. He governed temples for hundreds of years by reducing and controlling their economic scale. This shows the Tokugawa shogunate's method of maintaining order through economic pressure rather than strong military suppression.

Japan has a strong tendency to avoid burdening others in social life, and this is also reflected in the way obituaries are announced. Professor Narikawa Aya explained the characteristic of Japanese culture to announce obituaries minimally, saying, "They don't say anything to avoid burdening others, but then later people feel hurt. People react as if they've been betrayed."

Wedding culture also differs from Korea. Japanese weddings often involve confirming attendance in advance and assigning seats, so invitations are made carefully. Additionally, Japanese wedding gifts have a '357 culture' where odd amounts like 30,000, 50,000, or 70,000 yen are preferred.

These cultural differences show that Korea and Japan have different values in how they form and maintain relationships with others. Japan has a strong tendency to avoid 'meiwaku' (trouble/inconvenience), while Korea tends to prioritize intimacy in relationships.