Location: Kawaguchi, Odate City
Site(s) of performance: Various places in the community
Date(s): August 13 and 14
Category: Sasara and Horse Dance
The lion dance of Kawaguchi consists of the lion dance itself and a yakko dance. There used to be a stick dance in addition. These dances were brought to Akita in 1602 when Lord Satake was reassigned there. The violent moves of the lions purify people’s bodies and repel evils, and their stomping feet push calamity back into the earth. The lion dance here is danced by three lions, each performed by one person, in which two male lions compete for the love of one female lion. They dance sometimes aggressively and sometimes tenderly. The first male lion holds the sun on his head, the female lion the crescent moon, and the second male lion a sword.
