Location: Kawamae, Mutsuai, Jumonji-machi, Yokote City
Site(s) of performance: Gion Shrine, Eisenji Temple, and other places in the community
Date(s): August 14 and 15
Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property
Category: Taiko-Furyū and Matsuri-Bayashi
In 1828, the village purchased a mikoshi (divine palanquin) in Kyoto. The villagers who went to Kyoto to bring the mikoshi to their village learned music and dance there, especially Gion Bayashi of Gion Shrine. They performed it at the festival of the local shrine and it became the tradition of Imaizumi-Gion Bayashi. It is performed on August 15 every year, because that is the day of the annual festival at Gion Shrine in Kyoto. They perform a lion dance and a candy-seller’s song. The candy-seller’s song has dance with it. Music is played with shime-daiko, small drums, Japanese flutes, and small cymbals.
