A short history of kagura

From the age of the gods to the present day

The word 'kagura' is generally thought to come from 'kamikura', meaning a seat for the gods.[1] Kagura developed along two broad lines: mikagura, performed at the imperial court, and sato-kagura, the village kagura performed at shrines throughout Japan.[1]

Timeline

  1. MythThe sun goddess Amaterasu hides in a cave, and the world is plunged into darkness. The goddess Ame-no-Uzume dances, the gods laugh, and light returns. This story is told as the origin of kagura.[2][1]
  2. 807The word 'kagura' appears in writing for the first time (in the Kogo Shui).[1]
  3. 1002The imperial court's kagura ceremony begins (some sources say 1005). It later becomes an annual event held every December.[1][3]
  4. 1189A document from Takachiho mentions a 'gojinraku' lasting seven days and nights.[4]
  5. 1608At Sada Shrine, priests are said to have created 'shinno', kagura plays modelled on noh theatre.[5]
  6. Edo periodIse's 'daidai kagura' spreads across the country, and Edo (now Tokyo) develops its own village kagura. In the early 1800s, Bitchu Kagura takes on its present form.[1][6]
  7. Early MeijiPriests are banned from performing kagura, and villagers take over as dancers. In Iwami, the fast 'hachi-choshi' rhythm catches on.[7][8]
  8. 1976Japan begins designating Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties, and Sada Shin-no is among the first.[9][5]
  9. 1978-81The kagura of Takachiho, Bitchu, Tohyama and Tosa, along with Ise Daikagura, are designated one after another.[4][6][10][11][12]
  10. 2011Sada Shin-no is inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.[5]
  11. 2025Kagura is selected as Japan's candidate for UNESCO's list, with the nomination planned for 2028.[13]

Dates before the modern era are based on encyclopedias and local records, and there are several theories about the origins of kagura.

Detailed history (Japanese) Kagura styles

Sources

  1. 神楽(日本大百科全書・世界大百科事典・日本国語大辞典ほか) (コトバンク; Japanese) ↩
  2. 天岩戸 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  3. 御神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  4. 高千穂の夜神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  5. 佐陀神能 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  6. 備中神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  7. 石見神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  8. 第12回市史講座ミニレポート「松江の芸能」 (松江市; Japanese) ↩
  9. 重要無形民俗文化財 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  10. 遠山の霜月祭 (飯田市; Japanese) ↩
  11. 土佐の神楽 (文化庁 文化遺産オンライン; Japanese) ↩
  12. 伊勢大神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
  13. 神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩

Last checked: 2026-10-20. This page summarises the sources above. Dates, venues and rules can change, so always check with the organiser before you go.