Location: Kawai, Kita-Akita City
Site(s) of performance: Various places in the community
Date(s): August 13
Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property
Category: Sasara and Horse Dance
The horse dance came from Fujikoto (in Fujisato Town) and the yakko dance (samurai servants’ dance) from Tsurugata (in Noshiro City). Since those two communities have a long history of folkloric performance arts, the community of Kawai may have been practicing its tradition of horse dance and yakko dance for many years. Music for the Kawai Horse Dance and Yakko Dance is played only with Japanese flutes and drums.
