Tracing the Origins of Kagura in the Holy Grounds of Izumo ~2. Akatsuka kagura
Date; The Saturday closest to October 25 each year
Location; 1894 Oaza Kitsuki-Nishi, Taisha-cho, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture
Access;
official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/akatsukakagura/reels/
This article is based on 25th October, 2025
Another Kagura Performance Near Izumo Taisha (Grand Shrine)
It’s just a stone’s throw away from the shrine where the Ōdochi Kagura introduced in Section 1 is held. If you turn a wrong corner, there’s a good chance you’ll end up at the other shrine. Although the two are so similar, there are also many differences between them.
It starts at 3:00 p.m. The schedule here runs from daytime, with a break in the middle, until evening.
The shrine grounds are spacious, and the stage isn’t particularly elaborate. There aren’t any special decorations on it.
A distinctive feature of this kagura is the high proportion of young performers. In particular, the first half consists of a series of performances featuring only children.
Although it has a long history, it is said to have been interrupted once by war. Given this background, there is a strong movement to actively encourage local children to become familiar with it and to nurture them as future practitioners. Perhaps because of that, the audience—especially in the first half—consisted mostly of people involved in the production.
Masks used in this kagura are the rugged ones typical of Izumo Kagura. They give a very different impression from the flamboyant Iwami Kagura, even though both are from Shimane Prefecture.
Hino-misaki
“Misaki” means “cape.” Hinomisaki is one of Izumo’s tourist attractions by the sea, famous for its beautiful sunsets. The shrine located here is said to be the one that guards the night, in contrast to Ise Grand Shrine, which guards the day.
A performance unique to the local area, inspired by Hinomisaki. It’s a story of good triumphing over evil, in which the god of Hinomisaki defeats an evil deity attempting to invade the land. It’s easy to follow.
It was a little past 4:00 p.m. It was the perfect setting for Hinomisaki at sunset. From this point on, the kagura performances really began to pick up steam.
More enemies appear, and the action heats up. By this point, the audience has grown considerably.
Intermission
Kojin
“Kojin” is another play with roots in Izumo. The story is said to have actually taken place right here in this very place. Even though it’s just a play, watching it here in this place is deeply moving.
This myth, known as the “Transfer of the Country,” tells the story of how an envoy from Amaterasu arrived and demanded that Ōkuninushi, who ruled this land, cede it to her. It may seem unfair, but history is written by the victors.
The masks look just like those in Kabuki or Peking Opera.
Ōkuninushi is often depicted as the deity known as Daikoku-sama. Daikoku is one of the seven deities who bring happiness to people. However, the two are completely unrelated—they share only the same pronunciation of their kanji characters. Because of this, his son, “Kotoshironushi,” is also depicted in the form of the deity Ebisu. He makes his entrance carrying a sea bream, but—as is typical of Ebisu—he didn’t bring the gift specifically to curry favor with the messenger.
*about 7 of goods bringing fortune to people https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2021/04/05/seven-deities-of-good-fortune-parade-celebrating-the-new-year-at-the-center-of-tokyo/
Okuninushi and Kotokishiro-nushi agreed, but their other son refused to comply. He challenged them to a contest of strength, but…
Eventually, he was defeated and, for some reason, fled all the way to Suwa (a region in present-day Nagano Prefecture). There is a large shrine here called Suwa Taisha, which consists of four separate shrines; it is a shrine filled with mysteries, and it remains unclear why such a massive shrine came to be built in this location.
Orochi
It was already nearing 8:00 p.m. After a performance by the children, the final act of the evening—and the grandest climax—was about to begin. A large crowd had already gathered. Food stalls selling soba and other items—there are several of them—are seeing a steady stream of customers.
When it comes to slaying the Orochi, Shimane Prefecture comes to mind. It’s truly a local tradition.
It is also a popular production, particularly throughout western Japan.
The scene begins with the parents lamenting in front of their beloved Princess Kushinada. Just then, Susanoo arrives. “Leave it to me,” he says.
Orochi makes an appearance. Here, it’s done entirely in the Iwami Kagura style. Four of them appeared that day.
The story remains the same: they make Orochi drink the poisoned sake they’ve prepared, and once they have drunk, he defeat them.
The performance ended around 9:00 p.m. Even though it was October, the performers were drenched in sweat from their passionate performance. They gave it their all with their youthful energy.
There are few places to stay near Izumo Taisha, and prices are high. You can think of it as being similar to a resort area. The area near Izumo City Station is a popular choice and has plenty of accommodations. Furthermore, since it takes just over an hour to get to Matsue, you might want to consider staying there as well.
＼ 最新情報をチェック ／
