Location: Shitadai, Kyowa-Sakai, Daisen City Site(s) of performance: Karamatsu Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): May 3 (the day of annual festival of Karamatsu Shrine) in the modern calendar and late September in the lunar calendar Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishi-Kagura The snake-head kagura is a lion dance performed by …
Location: Hirokunai, Kakunodate-machi, Semboku City Site(s) of performance: Gosha Shrine, Inari Shrine, and other places in the community Date(s): August 7, 13-15, 17, and 18 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The origin of the Hirokunai Sasara is unclear. It might have derived from the lion dance of the followers …
Location: Umezawa, Tazawako, Semboku City Site(s) of performance: Kinpō Shrine, Nichigatsu Shrine, and other places in the community Date(s): August 13, 18, and 19 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The household that has assumed the guardianship of the lion heads has a written record titled ‘The Origin of the …
Location: Komemachi, Rokugo, Misato Town Site(s) of performance: Kumano Shrine Date(s): August 23 Category: Furyū This is an impromptu song (kakeuta) event where participants invent and sing impromptu songs one after another all through the night. After the reconstruction of the prayer hall of Kumano Shrine in 1953, the event was started to celebrate its …
Location: Fukushima, Masuda-machi, Yokote City Site(s) of performance: Gassan Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): September 14 and 15 (the annual festival of Gassan Shrine) Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Taiko-Furyū and Matsuri-Bayashi According to legend, Satake Yoshimasa, lord of the Akita Domain, visited here in August 1811. To entertain the …
Location: Ishiwaki, Yurihonjo City Site(s) of performance: Shinzan Shrine and the community hall Date(s): 3rd Sunday of January and May 2 and 3 Category: Furyū This is a kind of celebratory song. It is always sung at rituals, on New Year’s day, and on other occasions of celebration. In the Edo era, there were frequent …
Location: Ishiwaki, Yurihonjo City Site(s) of performance: Shinzan Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): May 2 and 3 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Dai-Kagura Ishiwaki Kagura is a kind of Ise Dai-Kagura. It has 5 dance numbers. In the Shihō-Gatame dance, the dancer purifies the evil spirits in the four directions …
Location: Maego, Yurihonjo City Site(s) of performance: Hie Shrine Kagura Hall and Ōhirume Shrine Date(s): September 7 and 8 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Dai-Kagura Maegō is where Takizawa Castle stood in the 17th century and was the center of former Yuri Town. The kagura of Maegō belongs to the school of Ise …
Maegō Kagura (Designated by the city as Dainichi Kagura) Read More »
Location: Maego, Yurihonjo City Site(s) of performance: Hie Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): From 1st Saturday to Monday of September Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The Maegō Shishiko Dance is performed as an offering at the annual festival of Hie Shrine. Each of the three lion cubs (shishiko) is performed by one …
Location: Nigorikawa, Arasawa, Yashima-machi, Yurihonjo City Site(s) of performance: Kizakai-Ōmonoimi Shrine, Kaizan Shrine, and other places in the community Date(s): July 8, August 13, and sometime in September Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishimai and Bangaku It is said that the villagers in this community learned bangaku directly from the priest Honkai, but …
Nigorikawa Lion Dance (Nigorikawa Shishimai/Bangaku) Read More »