Location: Nakazawa and Yakeno, Kado, Mitane Town Site(s) of performance: Various places in Nakazawa and Tatemura (Yakeno) Date(s): August 13 and 14 Designation: Town-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishimai and Bangaku The Nakadate Bangaku is performed every year alternately by the communities of Nakazawa and Tatemura. According to the legends, its origin goes back …
Location: Funakoshi, Oga City Site(s) of performance: Funakoshi Canal on the water Date(s): July 7 Category: Furyū Designation: State-Designated Important Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property (Toko-Yasaka Shrine’s Tonin Festival)This is performed at the annual festival of Tōko-Yasaka Shrine. At the festival, from the Tennō side appears the deity of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, who goes around the town on …
Location: Funakoshi (Oga City) and Tenno (Katagami City) Site(s) of performance: Toko-Yasaka Shrine Date(s): July 6 and 7 Designation: Designation: State-Designated Important Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property (Tōko-Yasaka Shrine’s Tonin Festival) Category: Taiko-Furyū and Matsuri-Bayashi This is one of the drum music performances practiced at the annual festival of Tōko-Yasaka Shrine. The parishioners of the shrine …
Location: Motai, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Various places in the community Date(s): August 13 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The origin of Hadachi sasara presumably goes back to the 17th century. There is a record that when Tagaya Nobuie came from Semboku-Shiraiwa (former Kakunodate Town) to Hiyama Castle (Noshiro City) in 1610, the sasara …
Location: Sakagata, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Torigata-Kumano Shrine, the community hall, and Chōsenji Temple Date(s): August 7, 13, and 16 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance There are scrolled records for the Torigata Lion Dance (Torigata Lion Dance), written in 1676 and 1825. According to those records, a man from Nara was adopted in Hitachi …
Location: Tsurugata, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Kaizoji Temple and other places in the community Date(s): August 13 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance It is unclear when the Tsurugata Sasara started. According to legends here, when Lord Satake was moved from Hitachi-Ōta (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) to Akita in 1602, a lower-class samurai danced to entertain …
Location: Hadachi, Tobune, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Atago Shrine, the cemetery, and other places in the community Date(s): July 24 and August 13 Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Dai-Kagura Hadachi Dai Kagura is believed to have been started by an excellent performer who visited here a long time ago. What is …
Location: Nibuna, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Various places in the community Date(s): August 13 and 14 Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance Nibuna Sasara Dance is believed to have been brought here from Dōji (Noshiro City). This sasara consists of a lion dance, yakko dance (samurai servants’ dance), …
Location: Tomine, Tobune, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Atago Shrine and the open space in front of it Date(s): July 23 and Sunday before Elderly Day (3rd Monday of September) Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishimai and Bangaku According to legend, Tomine Hōtoku Bangaku was brought here in 1793 from Kawai Village …
Location: Komagata, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Atago Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): July 24 and August 6 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The Komagata Lion Dance is considered to be a kind of lion dance, but details of this tradition remain unclear especially because …