Location: Kayagasawa, Akita City Site(s) of performance: Various places in the community Date(s): Anytime Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishimai and Bangaku Kayagasawa Bangaku consists of shishimai (lion dance) and bangaku. Its beginning goes back to 1781 when the priest Zezan-Taikaku of Akata-Chōkokuji Temple brought shishimai-bangaku here for prayers for bumper crops and …
Location: Iseiji, Nikaho City Site(s) of performance: Enmei-Jizōson Temple Date(s): July 23 and August 26 Category: Shishimai and Bangaku This bangaku belongs to the school of Honkai Bangaku and is of the same characteristics as the bangaku performed in the communities around Mt. Chōkai. The main performance is given in the prayer hall of Enmei-Jizōson …
Location: Konura, Nikaho City Site(s) of performance: Konoura-yama Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): February 4, April 23, and 2nd Sunday of May and the day before Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Taiko-Furyū and Matsuri-Bayashi Konoura Kagura is a big drum performance by the community of Motomachi and 5 other communities …
Location: Yokooka, Kisakata-machi, Nikaho City Site(s) of performance: Yokooka Community Hall Date(s): January 1 and 2, a day in June, July 1, August 13 and 15, and September 1 Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishimai and Bangaku This is the bangaku of Yokooka (former Kisakata Town) and was also called Yokooka Shishimai or …
Location: Muranami, Masuzawa, Kita-Akita City Site(s) of performance: Anywhere Date(s): Anytime Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Puppet Theater and Kabuki The Sarukura Puppet Theater was born in Momoyake (former Chōkai Town) as a modern popular puppet theater. Yohachi Ikeda devised improved finger puppets to create a new puppet theater with dramatic stories and …
Location: Tane, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Kumano Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): May 3 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishimai and Bangaku In the old days, Tane Bangaku was performed as an offering at the annual festival of Kumano Shrine. According to legend, the daughter of the local …
Location: Kotaki, Kisakata-machi, Nikaho City Site(s) of performance: The community center and other places in the community Date(s): The day before the 2nd Saturday of June (the day before the shrine’s annual festival), August 13, and August 1 in the lunar calendar Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Shishimai and Bangaku Bangaku of Kotaki …
Location: Kami-Kurotsuchi, Shimizu, Daisen city Site(s) of performance: Donpan Square Date(s): August 16 (Donpan Festival) Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Dai-Kagura This is a shishimai (lion dance) of the Dai-Kagura School, for which the role of the lion is performed by two dancers. It used to be offered at the annual festival of …
Location: Kinonezaka, Yasawagi, Omori-machi, Yokote City Site(s) of performance: Haushibetsu Shrine of Mt. Horowa Date(s): November 7 and 8 Designation: State-Designated Important Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Miko-Kagura and Yudate-Kagura This kagura performance is part of the divine rituals to be conducted at Haushibetsu Shrine on Mt. Horowa, one of the nine shrines of Dewa …
Location: Ohata, Nangai, Daisen City Site(s) of performance: Atago Shrine Date(s): April 23 and 24 Category: Shishi-Kagura The Atago Shrine Kagura Dance is part of kagura rituals performed by priests and their assistants. After the rituals in the main hall, one dance is performed in the long corridor of the shrine. After the introductory rituals, …