Kagura MeguriKagura styles by region
Where to see each style, and when
Kagura varies from region to region. Below are the main styles featured on this site, along with where and when to see each one. For details of upcoming events, follow the link to each style's Japanese page.
Main styles
Iwami Kagura 石見神楽
Where: Shimane (Iwami region)
When: Year-round in hot-spring towns; shrine festivals in autumn
Known for its fast, driving rhythm (hachi-choshi), costumes embroidered with gold and silver thread, and papier-mache masks made from local Sekishu washi paper. The highlight is the Orochi dance, in which giant serpents with light, collapsible bodies breathe fire and smoke. Regular shows are held in Hamada, Masuda, Gotsu (Arifuku Onsen) and Yunotsu Onsen.[1][2]
Takachiho Kagura 高千穂神楽
Where: Miyazaki (Takachiho)
When: Every night, all year; all-night village kagura from mid-November to early February
Every night at 20:00, Takachiho Shrine presents four of the 33 traditional dances in a performance lasting about an hour. From mid-November to early February, around 20 villages also hold yokagura, all-night kagura staged in private homes or community halls. Takachiho Kagura was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1978.[3][4]
Hiroshima Kagura 広島神楽
Where: Hiroshima
When: Weekly shows; festivals and competitions in autumn
Hiroshima is home to several styles. In the mountain villages of the north, kagura is fast and flashy, with lightning-quick costume changes; along the coast, the styles are slower and more ritual in character. There is a regular show every Wednesday.[5][6]
Bitchu Kagura 備中神楽
Where: Okayama (Bitchu region)
When: Monthly shows at Korakuen Garden and in Takahashi
Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1979, Bitchu Kagura blends Shinto ritual with dramatic retellings of myths, and features a comic character who banters with the drummer. Regular shows are held at Korakuen, one of Japan's Three Great Gardens (garden admission required).[7]
Hanamatsuri 花祭
Where: Aichi (Toei Town)
When: November to January, in one village after another
An all-night winter festival said to date back more than 700 years, and designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Masked demons and gods dance around a fire and a cauldron of boiling water. Admission is free; visitors who bring a small cash offering receive a local gift in return.[8]
Tohyama Shimotsuki Festival 遠山の霜月祭
Where: Nagano (Iida, Tohyama valley)
When: December, at one shrine after another
An overnight hot-water ritual (yudate kagura) held at eight shrines in the Tohyama valley, in which masked gods appear and splash boiling water. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1979.[9]
Ise Daikagura 伊勢大神楽
Where: Mie (Kuwana)
When: Grand performance every December 24
Lion dances and traditional acrobatics, including plate spinning, performed by troupes that tour the country all year round. Every December 24, all the troupes return to Masuda Shrine in Kuwana to perform the full repertoire. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1981.[10]
Tosa Kagura 土佐の神楽
Where: Kochi (mountain villages)
When: Autumn shrine festivals
The kagura of the Shikoku mountains, designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980. It is known for sword dances, acrobatic dances with trays and halberds, and dramatic scenes in which a demon is out-argued and runs away.[11]
Shonai Kagura 庄内神楽
Where: Oita (Yufu)
When: Third Saturday, May to October; Shonai Kagura Festival in autumn
A lively kagura set to fast drumming and flute. A record of a performance in 1778 still survives. Regular shows take place on the kagura stage at Shonai Sports Park.[12]
Ondake Kagura 御嶽神楽
Where: Oita (Bungo-ono)
When: Monthly shows at Kagura Kaikan; April festival
Dynamic, powerful dances based on Japanese myths, with a repertoire of 33 pieces passed down through the generations. It is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and regular performances are held at Kagura Kaikan in Kiyokawa.[13]
Shiromi Kagura 銀鏡神楽
Where: Miyazaki (Saito)
When: December 12-16 (main all-night kagura: Dec 14-15)
Performed during the annual festival of Shiromi Shrine. Thirty-three kagura pieces are danced through the night, and the festival closes the next afternoon with 'Shishitogiri', a hunting-themed piece, and 'Kamiokuri', a farewell to the gods.[14]
Horowasan Shimotsuki Kagura 保呂羽山の霜月神楽
Where: Akita (Yokote)
When: November 7-8, overnight
An overnight hot-water (yudate) kagura of 33 dances, held at the village shrine (satomiya) of Hauchiwake Shrine in Yokote. A shrine maiden dances and delivers an oracle, and the climax comes when water from the sacred cauldron is sprinkled over worshippers with bamboo leaves. It is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Admission is free, though a small offering is customary.[15]
Kasuga Wakamiya On-matsuri 春日若宮おん祭
Where: Nara (Kasuga Taisha)
When: December 17 (procession and night rites)
The December festival of Wakamiya, a subsidiary shrine of Kasuga Taisha. On December 17, a procession of performers makes its way to the Otabisho, the temporary shrine, where shrine maidens' kagura, dengaku and bugaku are performed late into the night. Grandstand seats can be reserved.[16]
First-timer's guide Browse by style (Japanese)
Sources
- 石見神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
- 石見神楽とは (島根県観光連盟(しまね観光ナビ); Japanese) ↩
- 高千穂の夜神楽 (高千穂町観光協会; Japanese) ↩
- 高千穂の夜神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
- 迫力満点！広島神楽の見どころチェック (広島県(徹底解剖！ひろしまラボ); Japanese) ↩
- 広島市「ひろしま市民と市政」(神楽の紹介) (広島市; Japanese) ↩
- 備中神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
- 花祭(東栄町) (愛知県公式観光サイト Aichi Now; Japanese) ↩
- 遠山の霜月祭 (飯田市; Japanese) ↩
- 伊勢大神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
- 土佐の神楽 (文化庁 文化遺産オンライン; Japanese) ↩
- 庄内神楽 (Wikipedia; Japanese) ↩
- 御嶽神楽 (文化庁 文化遺産オンライン; Japanese) ↩
- 銀鏡神楽(銀鏡神社大祭) (西都市観光協会; Japanese) ↩
- 保呂羽山の霜月神楽 (るるぶ&more.(横手市教育委員会); Japanese) ↩
- 春日若宮おん祭 お渡り式・桟敷席 (奈良市観光協会(プレスリリース); Japanese) ↩