That’s entertainment~ the report of Iwami kagura

Ebisu 恵比寿

The time was already around midnight. People are starting to feel deeply sleepy. For some reason, children were coming up to the front. It was a festival, so it was not strange to see children awake at this time. Anyway, with such loud music, it would be the same if people were at home. It would be safer to stay at the venue, since the whole family was out there. Anyway, why?
The answer to that question is quite simple. It was Ebisu.
People are familiar with Ebisu and its kagura. In Japan, there is the so-called Seven Deities of Good Fortune. Shichifukujin (“seven gods of good fortune”) are a group of gods from Japan, China and India, regardless of their origins, who bring good fortune to people. (For more information, see.→）And Ebisu is the first of them all. This is what people think of Ebisu. He is always smiling, wears a crow’s hat, and holds a fishing rod to catch sea bream. Yes, the Kagura troupe has come up with a performance that is not about good and evil. The fact that we can see these innovations without getting bored is a result of the long, night-long performances.

Ebisu catches a sea bream as expected. Whenever Ebisu throws a fishing line and the audience tugs at it, the audience responds beautifully. The audience’s response to the situation was superb, and you could sense that they understood the kagura very well. Ebisu took out more and more sweets from the fish basket hanging on his waist and distributed them. This was what the children were looking for. This program took about half an hour.

Tenjin 天神

Next, they return to the story of good and evil.
Tenjin is a famous god of learning in Japan. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka are famous. Dazaifu, for example, is such a popular shrine that they joke that people from all over Kyushu gather there for New Year’s visits.

Tenjin was originally a real person named Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真, who was active in the late ninth century. He did not come from one of the mainstream political families of the time. However, because of his academic excellence, the emperor of the time loved him very much so Michizane could be promoted in the Imperial Court. On the other hand, he had policy conflicts with the Fujiwara clan, which was a major power, and they sent him to Kyushu. There he died in a fit of rage. After his death, a series of incidents took place at the Imperial Court. Lightning struck, sickness spread, and the supreme authority, Fujiwara no Tokihira 藤原時平, who was responsible for relegating Michizane, died of illness. The people feared that this was a tragedy caused by Michizane, and decided to worship him as a god.
In this program, they will directly confront each other, just like Kagura.

First comes Michizane and his subordinates. Michizane states, “I am going to appeal to the gods for my innocence. The subordinate stops him from going alone. He says, “I will go with you.” Then, the villain, in this case Fujiwara no Tokihira, appeared with suspicious smoke. But here’s a further twist. Another mask appeared from underneath the mask, showing that the Demon King had actually taken over Tokihira. The battle of two against one begins. Intense, tireless movement. After the short break performance, it was very refreshing.

Jinlin 塵輪

This is another representative performance of Iwami Kagura. The two good guys and the two bad demons. The protagonist is Emperor Chuai 仲哀. He is a real person. He is described as the 14th emperor in the Japanese official history books. However, he has no particular achievements. His father is a hero named Yamato Takeru, and his wife is also a famous person. And yet, his presence in the book is extremely weak. In the first place, there are many scholars who doubt the very existence of the old age. So the fantasy elements are stronger. The appearance of his subordinate, Takamaro, followed by the appearance of Emperor Chuai. There are elaborate samurai dolls in Japan which parents mainly displayed to wish for the growth of their boys. A fantastic sight appeared in front of us, as if the dolls themselves were walking around. I think this is the essence of Iwami Kagura. Regardless of the history, Emperor Chuai is a hero here. Realism is not necessary for fantasy. A puppet-like hero defeats the bad demons. I could see things that only happen in cartoons and games unfold before my eyes. No, it’s as if we’ve somehow entered the game. That’s why children wield swords and learn difficult dialogues so easily. In fact, Kagura’s dialogues are difficult for adults to understand even if they read the script. Words that are not used in daily life nowadays come out one after another. The author of the first mentioned book wrote that he was amazed to see how children could say the lines so easily. He has gone to the trouble of posting the original text and asking readers if they can read it. The villains are also brilliantly graceful. They say, “We will bring pestilence to this country and make the people suffer.

When I first saw the picture, I thought the masks of Iwami Kagura were vulgar. They certainly don’t have the delicate expressions of Noh masks. They are large in shape and have an easily recognizable expression. However, if you see them in person, you will understand. In this showy stage, something like a Noh mask would not stand out. You can see that it was inevitably created in this environment, on this stage, under this lighting, with this musical accompaniment.

Demons spewed fire, swords were exchanged wildly and violently. The shouting echoes of the crowd were as exciting as ever. The taiko drum and the hand gong stirred up a sense of urgency at breakneck speed. There was no room for artistry there. Here is a form of traditional folk art that has evolved only for the purpose of entertaining people.

Yorimasa 頼政

Before I knew it, it was half past two in the morning. Only four more to go. After all the fierce breathless fighting performance, it was time for the audience to get tired again.
Yorimasa is a real-life warlord. Here’s a little history lesson: In the early 12th century, the samurai emerged from a long period of aristocratic dominance. In the early 12th century, a long period of aristocratic dominance gave way to the rise of the samurai, who were under the rule of two warlords, the Taira 平 clan and the Minamoto 源 clan. The Taira clan was the first to come to power. However, those who were dissatisfied with the Taira clan called on the Minamoto clan to overthrow them. The first to stand up was Minamoto no Yorimasa. He had long sworn obedience to the Taira clan, so his rising shocked them. He was 77 years old.
This means that it actually has little to do with Kagura. Just think of it as the name of a single hero. However, Yorimasa’s defeat of the mythical creature, “Nue” is so famous that it is recorded in history books. It is based on this episode.
The story goes like this. The emperor Takakura tells Yorimasa, “Recently, because of the rampancy of Nue, the monster, the people in the capital are getting worried. Can’t you do something to exterminate it?” Yorimasa replied “I will get rid of them.” Yorimasa ducked for a moment. Then a monster appeared. With a mysterious smoke, it tries to attack the Emperor Takakura. Yorimasa rushes in just in time and chases the monster away.

The scene changes and the monkeys with agile movement appear. Why are there monkeys? In fact, the Nue monster is said to have a monkey for a head, a raccoon for a body, a tiger for arms and legs, and a snake for a tail.
The monkeys begin to wrestle and play with each other. They bring children from the audience up to the stage and wrestle with them. A little relaxation time. The last person to come out was an older man. He looks like he’s drunk. A complete amateur but he was a resident of the kingdom of Kagura. His behavior was perfect as if he knew all about Kagura. The children were throwing the monkeys around. But at this point, the monkeys must have decided that this person was safe to throw. The man was tossed in the air with a joyful look. The kind of gradual and rapid movement is also very effective of Iwami kagura.

Here we return to the story. Yorimasa came and drove them out easily. This is where the enemy’s master, Nue comes in. The sideshow ended, and a violent spinning dance followed. Nue went out to the audience. Children scream and the audience’s sleepiness blown away. Before I knew it, it was half past two in the morning. Only four more to go. After all the fierce, breathless fighting performance. It was time for the audience to get tired again.

Shou-ki 鍾馗

There are only three performances left.
“Shou-ki” is a Chinese hero. Legend has it that when the emperor was troubled by nightmares in the past, he appeared in a dream and conquered the disease.
“This performance, Shou-ki, is a very important program in Iwami kagura,” a member of kagura troupe told me. As he says, the dance is very prestigious. The dancers behave in a grave and dignified tone. In accordance with the original legend, the purpose of this dance is to pray for the disappearance of plague and safety in the home. For this reason, they use the most expensive costumes, and the actors are usually veterans. Perhaps that’s why he carries not only a sword but also a chinowa 茅の輪, a ring that seals out evil. Moreover, Shou-ki doesn’t kill the demon, rather, he reforms him. The end was also noble and lofty.

Ju-rasetsu-nyo 十羅刹女

There were only two programs left. It’s 4:30 in the morning. The summer sky is already starting to brighten.
This program has a little different taste and hue from other programs again. The protagonist is woman. She is not just a woman. She used to be demoness who took advantage of her great beauty to steal spirits of humans. However she was exposed to the teaching of Buddhism and she transformed herself and became a guardian of Buddhism. Therefore, her mask is not that of one just like a pretty princess, but that of a strong-willed woman. Naturally, the antagonist is also female. An actor uses Hannya 般若 (cf.→https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2020/06/07/the-most-detailed-japanese-traditional-mask/）type mask looking cold hearted. Of course, actors are wearing a mask, so we cannot tell whether actors are male or female. Nevertheless, by wearing a mask, we are able to enter a weird and fantastic world that is not of this world. However, even at this hour, the dance was still intense and the speed had not diminished in the slightest. Not only that, but the villain changed costumes, masks, and even hair color in the middle of the performance.

Orochi 大蛇 ~the essence of Iwami Kagura

You can also watch the following you tube video　→Part 1: https://youtu.be/D1NFWrmHLIE
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 part 2: https://youtu.be/KhIHAGORB9A
Part 3: https://youtu.be/yKvTkFr9vzY
Part 4: https://youtu.be/4ZcYFtqfdXM

The extermination of Orochi is the most famous episode in Japanese mythology, along with the Opening of Iwato. (cf.→）
The story involves the rough and powerful deity, Susano being forced to leave the heavenly realm (Takamagaha高天原) due to a conflict with his sister Amaterasu, the main character of the Opening of Iwato), and bringing peace by defeating a terrible monster at Izumo 出雲. This program is the performance to summarize all of Iwami Kagura, and it would not be wrong to say that this performance is essence of creative ingenuity and originality with which Iwami Kagura has developed.
The story goes like this: Susano was forced to leave Takamagahara and wandered from place to place. And when he came to the banks of Hii 斐伊 river in the land of Izumo, he saw an old couple weeping in front of their young daughter. He asked “Why are you weeping?” They answered, “We had eight daughters. But a terrible monster called ‘Yamata-no Orochi’ (a serpent with eight heads) demanded sacrifice every year. And so far we have sacrificed seven of our daughters. And now, we have to offer our last daughter.” Susanoo heard this and asked about the monster’s characteristics. Susanoo was so rampant that he was driven out of Takamagahara. He asked. “If I kill the monster, will you give me your daughter?” “We don’t want our daughter to be killed any more. Please,” they replied. Susanoo heard that the monster liked to drink, so he ordered them to make a strong poisonous sake. Then, on the day of the visit, the monster came out and found that there was a large quantity of his favorite drink. He then left the daughter aside to be taken care of later and drank the sake first. Then, when the monster was drunk, Susanoo was able to easily swing Orochi around and successfully killed the monster. He married the daughter with great honor.
The festival venue was already beginning to brighten with the light of dawn. I’ve gotten used to the loud volume by now. The unique melody of Kagura has become familiar to me. Finally, expectation of seeing Orochi, the most attractive part of the show filled me up.

Why is Orochi considered representative of Iwami Kagura? That is accounted for its shape. First, the body. The body is called “Jado” (meaning the body of a snake). People use Japanese paper made in the Iwami region as a material to make them. They connect rings made of bamboo with washi. In this way, the body of the snake, which can expand and contract freely, is completed. The rest is up to the performers. Orochi was able to move its whole body with one manipulator. The key point is how to hide the performer’s appearance. In addition, the performers set fireworks in Jado’s mouth, and let them burst into flames as needed. This kind of ingenuity began in the Meiji era (1868-1912). The tone was changed from a slow six-tone to a fast eight-tone, the jado was further invented, and the costumes became more luxurious. The emphasis was on entertainment that was more in tune with the times.
First, an old couple (Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi) and their two daughters appear. This is unusual. Normally, the story would begin with the crisis of the eighth daughter. However, the fact that there are two daughters means that one of them is the seventh daughter.
Why is there a seventh daughter?
Then Orochi, the star of the show, appears. This time there were four of them. This will affect the size of the area where the Kagura will be performed. In large venues, there can be as many as eight Orochi.

A weeping old couple and their eighth daughter (Kushii-inadahime). As if she has given up, the seventh daughter goes to Orochi. They pull the cloth together until the end. But Orochi is relentless, and devours her. Orochi wraps the daughter in his body. Eventually, the daughter disappears into Orochi. This is something you don’t usually see. This is only possible because the kagura is performed throughout the night, when there is plenty of time.

And finally, here comes Susanoo. He heard about the situation from the old couple. He declares that he will kill Orochi in exchange for taking the final daughter, Kushi-inadahime, as his wife.

Once that’s decided, it’s time to make sake. They boiled and boiled until they had enough poison to paralyze Orochi. When the sake was ready, Susanoo ducked behind the curtain for a moment.

Orochi reappeared, and four of them performed a variety of tricks, including spinning spirals and blowing fire. When they eventually found the sake, the heads would fight each other eagerly to drink. Susanoo came out again slowly and quietly to watch Orochi.
Susanoo observed Orochi for a while. It would be easy to cut off Orochi’s head here. Of course, it’s not that easy.

Orochi suddenly woke up and attacked Susanoo. Orochi coiled himself up and tied Susanoo up with his long body. Orochi blew out fire and strangled Susanoo, trying to devour him. Susanoo swung his sword and tried to cut off his head. He finally breaks free from his bonds. This time, however, Orochi tries to eat the princess first. Oh no, princess was in danger.
The music was playing like crazy, and the drummer was shouting “eisa, eisa” with his voice dry. The drummers had been beating the drums with their whole bodies for the whole night (even if they had to take turns). No, it wasn’t just the drummers. The entire Kagura troupe must have been exhausted. With the last of his strength, Susanoo pulled the Orochi’s body apart and cut off its head, one by one. I had already been watching it for hours. It’s the same story. It was as if I had just seen Iwami Kagura for the first time. I was both elated and fascinated.
After everything was over, the entire Kagura troupe all came out and greeted the audience. Thank you for staying with us for such a long time. That’s what they said. It was pitch black when I came, but the sky had already dawned completely blue. It was a little after 6 a.m. The long, long night was over.

The road that had been so dark was now winding its way through the mountain village, bathed in the morning light. The demons and heroes had disappeared. Only the inside of my ears were filled with Kagura.