Shrines Worth Visiting, Kagura Worth Seeing ~Haruna shrine Daidai Kagura ：榛名神社太々神楽

Date; Usually on February 8, May 5, and May 8 (with February and May 5 being the main events)
Location; 849 Harunasan-cho, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture
Access; Take the direct train from Tokyo to Takasaki via the Ueno-Tokyo Line and Takasaki Line. The trip takes about 2 hours. From there, take the Gunma Bus bound for Lake Haruna for about 70 minutes. There is a 10-minute break at a bus depot along the way.

Haruna Tourism Association (Japanese) https://harunavi.jp/look_spot/
Takasaki city https://www.city.takasaki.gunma.jp/site/cultural-assets/4631.html

This article is based on a visit of 2015, 5th of May

Haruna Shrine is a popular spiritual spotkagura

Haruna Shrine has become increasingly popular in recent years as a “power spot,” and it’s always crowded no matter when you go. However, transportation access is naturally poor, and even after you finally arrive, you still have to walk about 15 minutes from there to reach the main area. However, along the way, there are mountain streams flowing and statues of deities standing here and there, so you’ll never get bored, and the path is a gentle slope, so walking isn’t difficult at all.

Since kagura is, by its very nature, a performing art intended for the gods, the stage here is at the same height as the main hall directly across from it. As a result, people either look up at the performance from below or watch it from another building diagonally across from the main hall. Anyone can enter this building and watch during the kagura performances.

Characteristics of Kagura

Each dance is very short, lasting only about five minutes. The performance is structured so that shrine maiden dances are interspersed between them. The musical accompaniment consists of just a single taiko drum—there are no flutes or gongs. The performers continue to dance in time with the steady rhythm of the drum.

Although short, it has a fast tempo and is characterized by solemn yet brisk movements throughout. Furthermore, it’s not hard to imagine that it requires considerable training to maintain a low, crouched posture throughout the dance.

Furthermore, entertainment elements have been eliminated as much as possible. Take the Ebisu Dance, for example. Normally, when reeling in the sea bream, it often takes a while to come up, or something else might be reeled in instead—or even a monetary gift—and it’s common to interact with the audience in this way. Here, however, there is absolutely none of that.

While shrine maiden dances usually feature red and white costumes, here the costumes are similar to those of other Kagura dances. It gives the impression that they are trying to avoid looking too flashy.

However, the event concluded with a brief, traditional mochi-throwing ceremony. It lasted about an hour, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
It is said that a total of about 30 dances have been passed down through the generations. On this day, about five mask dances were performed, interspersed with two shrine maiden dances.

The shrine itself is a cultural property

A shrine that retains its ancient form, surrounded by massive boulders. Although it is said to have been founded around the 6th century, the earliest verifiable records date back to the early 10th century. Since the shrine’s name appears on a list of designated shrines nationwide from that time, there is no doubt that it had already attracted a large following long before then.
Also, no matter how many times you look at the numerous sculptures, you’ll never get tired of them. It might be nice to take a short trip there someday to soak up the power of the gods and the earth.