Location: Memeki, Yuwa, Akita City Site(s) of performance: Takao Shrine Date(s): July 7 (the evening before the annual festival of Takao Shrine) Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Furyū Memeki Bayashi is dance and music performed as an offering at the annual evening festival of Takao Shrine at Memeki. A scaffold is set up …
Location: Kasuda, Odate City Site(s) of performance: Anywhere Date(s): Anytime Category: Furyū The Kasuda Sake Brewing Dance is a rare kind of furyū dance in Akita that replicates the process of small-scale sake brewing. Its origin goes back further than 1855. While singing the Misaina song, the performers wash rice, steam it, mix it with …
Location: Yasumotodate, Kanezawa, Yokote City Site(s) of performance: Kanezawa Hachiman Shrine Date(s): September 14 Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Furyū On the evening before the annual festival of Kanezawa Hachiman Shrine, villagers sang improvised songs over the night. They were allowed to sing about anything, including culture and politics or current problems and …
Location: Akata, Yurihonjo City Site(s) of performance: Shinmei Shrine and Chōkokuji Temple Date(s): August 22 Category: Furyū Shagiri means ‘shutting out.’ It was originally meant to protect shugen ascetics from evil spirits, and later was introduced into Shinto festivals. Akata Shagiri is performed at the joint festival of Chōkokuji Temple and Shinmei Shrine, which was …
Location: Hayashi-no-koshi, Yonaizawa, Kita-Akita City Site(s) of performance: Kumano Shrine Date(s): August 28 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Furyū This dance is performed as an offering at the annual festival of Kumano Shrine. In Yonaizawa (in the former Moriyoshi Town) only Shinmachi has this tradition, and its origin is unknown. It is said …
Location: Menagata, Minehama, Happo Town Site(s) of performance: Hikami Shrine (in Sawame Shrine) Date(s): April 29 Designation: Town-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Furyū This is a Furyū dance performed at the annual festival of the local shrine. To the music of drums, Japanese flutes, and gongs, songs are added. People dance in a circle. …
Location: Hitoichi, Hachirogata Town Site(s) of performance: Hitoichi Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): May 5 Designation: Prefecture-Designated In tangible Cultural Property Category: Furyū Gannin Dance is a furyū dance performed at the annual festival of Hitoichi Shrine, which was also called Suwa Shrine in the old days. Its origin is unclear, but …
Location: Hata, Nikaho City Site(s) of performance: The household in charge and other places in the community Date(s): 4th Sunday of May Category: Furyū Shagiri is a lively Shinto festival with music and dance. At Hata Inari Shrine’s annual festival, the mikoshi (divine palanquin) is moved on the day of pre-festival to the household in …
Location: Himeno, Nikaho City Site(s) of performance: Kushi Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): 2nd Sunday of September Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Furyū Shagiri is a lively Shinto festival with music and dance. At the Kushi Shrine’s annual festival, the mikoshi (divine palanquin) circulates in the community and a music …
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 …