Date; Every year from November 1 to 3
Location; Chuson-ji Temple, Motsu-ji Temple—Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture
Access; Take the Shinkansen to Ichinoseki Station, then transfer to a local train; it takes about 10 minutes to reach Hiraizumi. It’s about a 25-minute walk from the station to the entrance of Chuson-ji Temple, and about a 10-minute walk to Motsu-ji Temple.
https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2026/07/08/enjoy-the-performing-arts-in-hiraizumi-where-the-autumn-foliage-shines-brightly-fujiwara-festival-day-1/

This article based on 2th~3rd November, 2025

Day 2 ~Schedule

Since it’s the final day, there are many performances scheduled for today. First, let’s check the schedule of performances you can see today. (The schedule is announced in advance by the organizers, so you can check it on their website or in the pamphlet.)
*Hiraizumi town official https://hiraizumi.or.jp/en/

Kawanishi dainenbutsu kenbai (sword dance) 10:00 a.m. (Chusonji temple Konjikido) 11:00 a.m. /1:00 p.m. (Chusonji templemain hall)
Noh 11:00 a.m./1:00 p.m. (Chusonji temple Noh stage)
Shishi odori (Deer dance) 10:30 a.m. (Hiraizumi station) 12:30 p.m. (Motsuji temple) 2:30 p.m. (Chusonji temple main hall)
Dance of Ennen 11:00 a.m. (Motsuji temple)
*While there aren’t usually any major changes from year to year, please check the website and other sources each time.

The schedule is divided into very specific time slots, and the locations are spread out across Chūson-ji Temple, Mōtsū-ji Temple, and the area in front of the station. Furthermore, even within Chūson-ji Temple, the schedule is divided among the Main Hall, the Konjikido Hall, and the Noh stage.
It’s about 1.5 km from Chūson-ji Temple to the station, and from there you have to climb a steep hill to finally reach the main hall. Since the Konjikido Hall and the Noh stage are located beyond that, it takes quite a while. The distance from the entrance to Chuson-ji Temple to Motsu-ji Temple is about 2.3 kilometers. There are bike rentals available in front of the station, so using one of those is one way to shorten the trip. In any case, since getting around takes time, it’ll be tough unless you decide in advance where to go and what to see.

Kawanishi dainenbutsu kenbai (sword dance)

Chusonji temple Konjikido

Chusonji temple Main hall

A performance lasting about 20 minutes.

Ennen no mai (Everlasting Dance)

11:00 a.m. for about 50 minutes, on the stage next to the Main Hall of Motsuji Temple

In short, the term “Ennen 延年” in the Ennen Dance refers to the wish for longevity. Its origins date back some 800 years. It reached its peak around the 12th century but began to lose popularity around the 14th century, along with the decline in the popularity of Noh. As a result, there are few remaining examples throughout Japan, and the one here at Mōtsū-ji Temple has been designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property.

You can see it at the festivals on January 20, May 5, and November 3 https://iwatetabi.jp/en/spots/94710/

Noh

The event begins at 11:00 a.m. at the Noh stage. The photo shows the performance titled “Makura Jido,” which starts at 1:00 p.m.
Further back from the Konjikidō is Hakusan Shrine, and there is a Noh stage nearby. Although it was rebuilt in the early 19th century, it has a very atmospheric appearance.
It should be noted, however, that not all Noh performances are plays; some consist solely of singing, and others solely of dancing. If you look closely at the program or other materials, you’ll find this information there.

Shishi odori (Deer dance)

It starts at 10:30 a.m. in front of Hiraizumi Station, at 12:30 p.m. at Motsuji Temple, and at 2:30 p.m. in front of the main hall at Chuson-ji Temple. This photo was taken in front of the main hall at Chuson-ji Temple.
The finale is the deer dance, a familiar sight in the Tohoku region. This time, it’s the “Gyozan-ryu Miyako-dori” deer dance. They pound the ground, send the sound of the drums echoing to the heavens, and their songs—which seem to well up from the depths of the earth—are as vibrant as ever. The performance, which lasted about 20 minutes, thoroughly impressed the audience.
*The following article should be helpful for learning about the deer dance. https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2020/11/30/michinoku-traditional-folk-performing-festival-the-deer-dance/

Date; Every year from November 1 to 3
Location; Chuson-ji Temple, Motsu-ji Temple—Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture
Access; Take the Shinkansen to Ichinoseki Station, then transfer to a local train; it takes about 10 minutes to reach Hiraizumi. It’s about a 25-minute walk from the station to the entrance of Chuson-ji Temple, and about a 10-minute walk to Motsu-ji Temple.

This article based on 2th~3rd November, 2025

Chusonji temple and Fujiwara festival in autum

　Hiraizumi is one of the leading tourist destinations in the Tohoku region. This is thanks to Chuson-ji Temple, built here in the Middle Ages, and the National Treasure, the Konjikido Hall, located within the temple grounds. “Konjiki” simply means golden. True to its name, there is a temple that still stands today, with its entire structure covered in gold. For more details, please refer to other websites introducing Japan, but on this site, we’d like to introduce the Fujiwara Festival held at this temple.
　 There are two Fujiwara Festivals: one in the spring (early May) and one in the fall. The spring festival mainly features performances by celebrities and reenactments of historical processions; it is a lively event that draws large crowds. As for autumn, while it may lack some of the showiness, it more than makes up for it with the many performing arts deeply rooted in this region.
Hiraizumi town official https://hiraizumi.or.jp/en/
Iwate prefecture official https://www.hiraizumi-heritage.pref.iwate.jp/

Hounokizawa Nenbutsu Kenbai

in front of Hiraizumi station

After their performance, which lasts about 20 minutes, they’ll pose for commemorative photos.
Following this, two more performances are scheduled—one in front of the Konjikidō Hall at Chūson-ji Temple and another at Mōtsū-ji Temple. Accordingly, this article will follow them as they tour the famous sights of Hiraizumi for the day.

To Chuson-ji Temple

Chuson-ji Temple is located on top of a mountain. Because of this, visitors must climb a very long slope to reach it. The slope is particularly steep in the first half, so there are even ropes along the side for visitors to hold onto.

That said, it’s autumn, and visitors forget their weariness amid the fiery autumn foliage.

in front of Konjikido Hall

Starting at 12:30 p.m., there was also a dance performance in front of the Konjikidō. Many tourists were delighted by this unexpected treat.

at Motsuji temple

Mōtsū-ji Temple is located about a 10-minute walk from the station in the opposite direction from Chūson-ji Temple.
Mōtsū-ji is one of Hiraizumi’s most famous sights, alongside Chūson-ji. Its vast grounds, which feature a large pond, are said to be modeled after the Buddhist Pure Land, and they amply evoke the prosperity of the clan that once ruled this region.

To be continued in the next section, on the second day

Date: 26 August, every year
Location: 6-86 Horibatamachi, Shinjo, Yamagata 6-86 Tozawa 戸澤 Shrine Gokoku 護国 Shrine and Minami Honcho Crossroads
Access: About 1 hr 15 mins on the Yamagata 山形 Line from Yamagata.
3 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen approx. 2+ hours from Sendai 仙台 (conventional line)
By air from Yamagata Airport and Shonai 庄内 Airport.
Highway night bus, etc.

Article based on reports from August 26, 2017

the other worldly creatures

People are always attracted to the other worldly creature. In Western paintings, angels always look the same, whereas demons are diverse and always fascinating. Legends of fairies and spirits are ubiquitous. The Japanese have used a very rich and varied imagination when it comes to such things. In Japan, ‘yokai’ is a major content. Most Noh plays, for example, consist of dialogues with ghosts and other forms. And it’s the same at festivals. At this moment, the deities, like monstrous creatures and like yokai are active.

Two distinctive Deer dance

The deer dance presented here is from Shinjo, Yamagata Prefecture, in the western part of the Tohoku region. On the west side of Tohoku region, there are variety of Deer dances, which is different from the east side. Why have various dances been handed down in Yamagata Prefecture? The reason is the history of this land.

End of Mogami clan

Yamagata Prefecture region was once ruled by the powerful Mogami clan. The Mogami family is the hero of the Tohoku region, along with the Date family in the east. Unfortunately, however, after the death of the hero Yoshiaki, a succession problem arose and the Mogami family decrease their rank in the Tokugawa shogun system. After this, the Tokugawa family divided its vast territory into smaller feudal lords, so the performing arts were handed down in a more varied form than in the west (Iwate and Miyagi prefectures).

Features and visual

The other two members have sasara, an instrument made of bamboo that is rubbed together to produce a sound, and are in charge of singing. The lyrics of the song are the same in both groups. They also have a banner on their backs with the name of each place. Others have the words ‘five days of wind’ and ‘ten days of rain’ dyed on them. This comes from the legend that when each of these occurs, a good harvest will result.

Flow of performance

The flow is almost the same for both. The first part of the performance is the entrance. They praise the garden. This is an expression of respect to the house that invited them. Next follows a scene of fighting over a doe. It is difficult for the audience to tell which is the doe. However, the intense fight scene is a highlight. Then comes the fierce fighting between the doe, followed by a dance of gratitude for the congratulatory gifts received. The performers then leave the hall. However, the existence of what appears to be a doe is not clear, and it is difficult for the audience to understand whether it is a struggle over a deers in a clear-cut way. One person from each of the left and right rows comes out to fight, and then everyone joins in and things get exciting. The leader comes out at the end to settle the dispute, so it seems as if the henchmen start a fight and the bosses arbitrate it, perhaps because their appearance reminds them of an old *yakuza family.
*yakuza ; Old gambler. They were mainly gamble. Although they were part of the underworld, they were also the unofficial face of the town and did not always have a bad image; some of them corrected corrupt officials on behalf of the common people.

Hey, you guys. Can’t you keep it down? You look disgusting in front of everybody. Today is the Shinjo Festival. You disgrace the Hagino family, don’t you?…. I can’t help thinking he’s going to say something like that.

Tradition

Nitayama’s history

Hagino again

Two deer dances performed at two neighbouring shrines in the morning, but only Hagino has the opportunity to see them again during the day. This time, the dance is performed in front of a larger audience in the town’s central quadrangle. The content of the dance does not change, but the festival audience takes up positions on all four sides, so the audience feel more enthusiasm and the dance is more spectacular here.

Shinjo festival

To begin with, these two deer dances are at the Shinjo Festival. The Shinjo Festival has been held in the area for about 260 years and has been inscribed as a UNESCO Heritage Site because of the magnificent stalls. The festival lasts for three days, the eve of the festival, the main festival and the post the festival.

The main attraction is the decoration of the floats, which are made by people from each township in their spare time from work. The floats are beautifully decorated with scenes from history, Kabuki and stories, and parade through the town. On the second day, a total of 200 citizens re-enact the procession of the feudal lords of the past.

On the third day, after the Deer Dance, all floats gather for a disbanding ceremony at around 3pm.
The Shinjo Festival allows visitors to enjoy three things at once: floats, historical picture scrolls and traditional performing arts. It is worth a visit.

https://yamagatakanko.com/en/festivals/detail_2991.html

https://www.instagram.com/shinjomatsuri

Introduction

On a cold winter’s day. It is said that a mysterious monster appears along the coast of the Tohoku region—but only on that particular day, and only that night. Rumour has it that the monster enters people’s homes and attacks children. What’s more, the government is said to acknowledge the monster’s existence. Apparently, its name is Suneka. What on earth is it? I set out immediately to investigate.

Date: 15th January every year
Location: Yoshihama, Sanriku town, Ofunato city, Iwate prefecture
Access: Shin-Hanamaki 新花巻 by Shinkansen from Tokyo. From there transfer to the Kamaishi Line for Kamaishi 釜石. From there, transfer to the Sanriku Railway for Yoshihama 吉浜. Or take the Ofunato line from Ichinoseki 一関 to Kesennuma 気仙沼 and transfer to Mori 盛. From there, take the Sanriku Railway to Yoshihama. It takes about 3 hours from Tokyo to Shin-Hanamaki and Ichinoseki. From there, it is about 2 hours to the nearest Sanriku Railway station. Another 30 minutes to Yoshihama.
Flights to Hanamaki Airport are available, and shuttle buses run from the airport to Hanamaki Airport Station, Morioka Station, and Kitakami Station. The ride takes about 10 to 20 minutes to each destination.

What’s “Suneka”? What’s “Raiho-shin”?

Sneka is one of the visiting deities (Raiho-Shin) featured in the folklore of Iwate Prefecture. What exactly are visiting deities? A group of “Raiho-shin (visiting deity)” folk rituals were added at 2018 to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Raiho-shin are masked and disguised deities who visit the human village from the other world at certain times of the year. Namahage* in Akita prefecture is one of the good examples of Raiho-shin.
A total of 10 events were registered. Suneka is one of them. It appears in Iwate Prefecture, the neighbor of Namahage’s Akita Prefecture. It is an oddly shaped entity that is no less than a Namahage. Let’s take a closer look.

cf. https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2020/02/07/namahage/
https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2020/02/07/namahage-sedo-matsuri/

this article based on 2026 visit

Taking part in the SuneKa Tour

As the Suneka is an event rather than a festival, it is rather difficult to find out the details unless you know someone in the local area. However, I happened to come across something called the ‘Suneka Tour’. Apparently, it’s a new initiative that started this year. Preserving traditional events is becoming a pressing issue in many regions. Whilst securing people to carry on the traditions is the top priority, raising awareness is also a key factor.

Suneka is supposed to appear on a cold night on the 15th of January every year. They wear a straw raincoat and have abalone shells hanging from their waists. The sound of the shells is an indicator of their arrival. They also wear a small sword (deliberately dipped in bloodstain) and, for some reason, only one pair of children’s shoes. And on their backs they carry heavy-looking bales. And most distinctive of all are their masks. The masks are not animals themselves, but rather strangely deformed, adding to the eeriness of the scene.

Where did that name come from?

The strange name Suneka comes from the word tagle for sunekawa. Sunekawa means the skin of the shin, and Taguru means to peel. It is the same as the name of the Namahage, which means to peel off the skin of the tibia. The difference is that on the Oga Peninsula, where the Namahage live, the shin skin is called Namomi, and here in the Yoshihama area of Iwate Prefecture, it is called Sunekawa.

Before the Sneca event began, there was also a lecture given by an expert.

A brief ceremony in front of the hall

In the evening, Suneka gather and at 5:00 p.m. a departure ceremony is held at the station. About 25 members in total. They went from house to house in some groups. It takes about two hours to visit about 300 households.

On that day, several families had gathered in front of the hall to experience their first taste of Suneka. Though they’d prefer not to have visitors come to their home, these families want their children to get to know Suneca.

What does Suneka do?

In each house, a feast awaits them with their children. Then the sound of the shells of Sneeka and his friends begins to be heard, and even the sound of their sniffing comes closer. At this point, the children are already scared. They are almost afraid to even mention the name. When SUNEKA arrives, they scratches their nails in the yard and shakes the door. Then they come up to the house. Are there any crying children? Are they being good? Are you being a good boy? The children desperately appeal, “I’ll be a good boy. Then, when the time is right, a family member tells them, “Then we will give you some rice cakes and ask you to go home. It takes about 10 minutes, but for the children it seems like an eternity. Here is what makes Suneka unique. They never show their backs. So when they leave, they walk backward and head for the entrance.
In some areas, there are even child Suneka. Originally, this was done by a youth group, but due to a lack of manpower, the children began to take on this responsibility. They go around to kindergartens and nursery schools. Still, Suneka remains a formidable presence for the children in each place. We hear that older children sometimes stand up to him and say decisively, “No crying children, please go home.

In this way, children in this area grow up strong. According to the locals, this effect is valid for about three months.

Although the exact figures are unknown, its history dates back about 200 years., and although it was once interrupted by war, it was revived in the 1960s, and a preservation society was formed and continues to this day.

But the tour isn’t over yet

The Suneka members drove off to various locations. After they left, the chairman of the Preservation Society gave a detailed explanation to the remaining Suneka members.

Sunehka isn’t over yet—and neither is Ofunato

To get to Yamadera, take the Senboku Line from Sendai towards Yamagata. The journey takes about an hour. As the route winds through the mountains, cell phone reception is sometimes poor

The air around us was clearly different from the city in its tranquility.

The structure consists of a shrine and the main hall of the temple. This is the so-called Shinto-Buddhist syncretism, and is a common sight in Japan.

Nowadays, haiku has spread all over the world. Matsuo Basho is at the top of the list. He stopped here on his long journey and composed his famous haiku here. Next to him is Sora, with whom he shared his journey.

After the Godaido Hall, we came to Okunoin (the inner sanctuary). This is the highest point of the mountain temple. There is also a path around here that spreads out to the left and right.

In the past, this area was dominated by the Mogami clan, a rival to the Date clan, which had grown in power mainly in Sendai to the east. A hall dedicated to them has been built here.

The path cut through the deep, deep cliffs is also a path of prayer.

Date: 18：00 ~past 20：00, second weekend (Friday~Sunday), Feburuary every year,
Location 　　　　　　Shinzan shrine, Oga city in Akita prefecture
Acces: It takes about 50 minutes from Akita to Oga by Oga Line. From there, take the toll shuttle bus for about 40 minutes.

You can also watch the following you tube video →https://youtu.be/tKpC2YpuvHA
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 https://youtu.be/RRG1ft4RhkE
https://youtu.be/owqMaDMqG1Y

On the way back, the bus will take you to Oga Station or Oga Onsen (hot spring). You are going to arrive in Akita around 10:00 or 11:00 pm.
It’s not a bad idea to relax and unwind at Oga Onsen. The hot spring would surely relax you in a snowy landscape in the middle of winter. Don’t let yourself be troubled by the Namahage coming into in your dreams.

Prefer: https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2020/02/07/namahage-sedo-matsuri/ Namahage Sedo Matsuri
https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2020/02/07/namahage/ Namahage
　　　 https://oganavi.com/sedo/en/ Official site

Date: 16th and 27th, August
Location: Oaza Kamikomatsu, Kawanishi city, Higashi-Okitama district, Yamagata prefecture (Daikoin-temple and Suwa shrine)
Access: 15 minutes walk from Uzen Komatsu station

Yamagata Prefecture has a wide variety of lion and deer (both shishi) dances. Among them, in the southern region where this lion dance is performed, the three lion dances commonly seen in the Kanto region are popular. The faces of the shishi are Kanto-style, and the way ”Hana-gasa (the flower hats)” accompanies is also very similar.. There is a reason why the lion dance of this small region is so popular among people. It is the performance jumping through the fire ring.

History and composition

The dance is divided into three parts: the “introduction,” the “development,” and the “finale/climax,” and it takes about 50 minutes to go through the whole dance. Therefore, usually only the “development” is performed. Most of the content is about farming. There is also a scene where a wild boar gets lost among the flowers. There is a scene in which a mother lioness loses sight of her child. In other words, the ring of fire is used to express the feeling of not being afraid of fire for the sake of the child.

Jump through flaming hoop

On the day of the festival, performers will act at about five locations in the town. Not all of them involves the performance of jumping through the flaming hoop. Currently, junior high school students are learning the lion dance in order to preserve their town’s traditional folk performing art. They will also perform, but for safety reasons, the junior high school students don’t use the fire ring.

It is always held on the 16th in Daiko-in, in front of the community center at night, and on the 27th at Suwa Shrine.

It’s not just about going through the hoops. The fire is on, so it’s important to work in coordination with the person holding the wheel. If the fire is about to shift even a little, the person holding the wheel must be able to instantly shift it to make up the subtle difference. It’s also nerve-wracking not to hurt the performer’s limbs because the place performer jumps to is either concrete or hard ground.

Road to Hachimangu Shrine

At the shrine

Yabusame

In front of the main hall of the shrine

Parade at the riding ground

Free session

Others

And Good-bye time

In Tono, the trees are already beginning to change color. Once the festival is over, winter will be just around the corner. But the festival season will come again. Please come and visit this typical region in Japan. You might even be able to meet a kappa!

Date: the 3rd Saturday and Sunday, September, every year
Location: Tono city and Tono Hachiman shrine, Iwate prefecture
Access: 1 hour from Kitakami, 2 hour from Morioka by local train. 3 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen and change at Shin-Hanamaki, 1hour by local train.

Tono has many strange stories

Tono is a small mountain village about an hour’s train ride away from the center of Iwate Prefecture. Its main industry was agriculture for a long time, but in recent years, tourism and hospitality services have been increasing in proportion. Tono has the largest cultivation area of hops, the raw material for beer, in Japan.

Tale of Tono

When Japanese people hear the name Tono, the first thing that comes to mind is “Tono Monogatari 遠野物語 (the tale of Tono)”.

About 100 years ago, there was a scholar named Yanagita Kunio 柳田国男. He was amazed at the number of legends and folk tales in the region, and compiled them into a book. In the preface to the book, he wrote enthusiastically, “Let the stories of this mountain village make the people of the plains shudder”. In fact, the book became a bestseller, and it still holds a place in people’s hearts. Yanagita thus became the founder of Japanese folklore. The “Tale of Tono” contains many strange stories, such as the story of a girl who was married to a horse, and the story of a man who spent time with a giant in the mountains. The most famous of these characters is the kappa. Even today, there are still many places in Tono where legends about kappa remain. This is the reason why Tono is called the home of folk tales.

Kappa

*Kappa is one of the most famous Japanese “yokai”. The approximate image of a kappa is that it lives in a river, has a shell on its back, hair on its head, and a dish in the center of its head. When the water in the dish runs out, it dies. They have waders on their hands and feet and are good swimmers. They are about the size of a child. They lean out of the river and drag people and horses into the river. Sometimes they come out at dusk and say, “Let’s play Sumo”. Their favorite foods are human liver and cucumbers. Since they are all over the country, they are called by different names in different places. “Gataro” is one of them.

Let’s go with Kappa

Tono is also a treasure house of folk performing arts. All of them come together once a year to perform at the Tono Festival. The festival takes place over two days. On this day, the normally quiet mountain village welcomes a large number of people and becomes spectacular. If a kappa from this area were to guide us through the festival, it might look something like this.

Day 1

Welcome guests

scene: in front of Tono station

Today is the long awaited day of the annual festival. Now, it looks like Kappa living in Tono (named Wooden) is going to welcome guests soon.

*Yes, he is Gajiro, a kappa from Fukusaki town in Hyogo Prefecture. There is a little explanation as to why he appeared this time. Fukusaki town is actually the hometown of Yanagita Kunio, who wrote “The Tale of Tono”. In his memoirs of his hometown, he wrote about the existence of a kappa named “Gataro” in the town. In Fukusaki Town, Gajirō, who is set up as Gatarō’s younger brother, plays an active role.

*Explanation again. Fukuzaki town has installed objects of kappa and other yokai (Japanese strange monsters) throughout the town to promote the town. In particular, the main pond and the station in front of the station are attracting a lot of attention because of the kappa jumping out of the pond.
cf. http://www.fukusakikankou.jp/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hix5SerE19g

Door-to-door entertainment

scene: Tono town

The content can also be enjoyed on video→https://youtu.be/lOEuoTPm7tw

Parade~Deer Dance

The content can also be enjoyed on video→https://youtu.be/NGlbg81BCuc

Structure of the Deer Dance

Other performances besides the deer dance

The content can also be enjoyed on video→https://youtu.be/xdmoOoWz3TM

Tono daikagura

Corps de Deer Dance

Kagura theater

The content can also be enjoyed on video→https://youtu.be/Fx0clpoxjp0

End of the 1st day

to be continued….

　Michinoku Folk Performing Arts Festival. Kagura is the centerpiece of the festival, along with the Oni Sword Dance and the Deer Dance. Here in the Tohoku region, there are many unique kagura performances. One of the pleasures of this festival is to be able to see some of them all at once.

Michinoku folk performing arts festival https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/2020/10/18/michinoku-traditional-performing-art-festivaloni-kenbai/

“Hayachine kagura”

　The first thing that comes to mind when talking about Iwate’s Kagura is the “Hayachine Kagura”, which is dedicated to the Hayachine Shrine located between the cities of Hanamaki and Tono, next to Kitakami City. This form of kagura, which is said to have been spread by “yamabushi” in the past, is now listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The surrounding area is dotted with a number of kagura performances that follow in its footsteps (Its number is more than 100). It is so popular that many people come at one time mostly using tourist buses to the annual festival at the original Hayachimine Shrine.
Its greatest feature is the good tempo of the dance. The dancer dances at a good tempo by the sound of drums and “tebiragane” (Palm-sized cymbals), which is beaten without a break, bending slightly forward and slumping at the waist. And sometimes the sound of feet stamping on the floor works as a perfect accent. The costumes are also distinctive, the most noticeable being called “torikabuto” like the “Eboshi”(an old hat, long and narrow and high) with a bird on top of it. And underneath, feather-like things hang from both sides, flapping up and down in response to the dance. It is also common to leave the jacket hanging below the waist.

　

“Daijo kagura”

　Since there are many forms of Kagura in Iwate Prefecture, it is up to luck what kind of Kagura can be seen at any given time, but there are also many forms of Kagura that are a fusion of Buddhism and Shinto. Due to Japan’s polytheistic beliefs, the country is tolerant of foreign cultures in terms of religion. Where there was originally Shinto, Buddhism was introduced. At that time, the Japanese handled it like this. The theory was that the Japanese gods were the manifestation of the Buddhist gods in different forms. These are called “Daijo Kagura” or “Hoin Kagura” and are characterized by their strong influence on Buddhism compared to other types of Kagura.

　However, the degree of this varies greatly from one kagura to another and from one performance to another. First of all, I would like you to see a performance called “Maou”. This is performed by Kamiyado Kagura, not a demon, but a Buddha who has the power to exterminate demons in Buddhism.

　

　The next play, “Kanemaki” is based on the story of a woman who desperately wants to visit a Kanemaki temple where women are not allowed to worship. However, according to tradition, if she breaks the rule something terrible will happen. Will it happen?
A visiting, slightly unreliable-looking monk is suddenly attacked by a monster. This was a woman’s altered form. The monk managed to dispatch the monster with his magical powers.

　

　The next show is called “Teito”. First, an attractive young woman appears. Then a strange man with a comedic mask appears. He has been chasing after the woman. From there, a funny exchange with the drummer begins. The man dances, but at first his rhythm is too fast and he dances riotously. The man asks him to slow down, but this time the rhythm is more leisurely. The man eventually collapses and falls asleep.
By this point, it has almost nothing to do with Buddhism. Some of these performances are for entertainment.

“Makisawa kagura” (one of “Nambu kagura”)

　Finally, I would like to introduce “Makisawa Kagura” of Nambu Kagura. Nambu Kagura is structured like an opera, with drummers singing a song and advancing the story. When the characters appear on stage, they themselves sing and talk as if they were singing. Then the song continues, and so on.
　And if you look closely, you will see an old man next to him striking hand cymbals, and next to him is another young child striking hand cymbals single-mindedly. Worried about the heat, he was just beating the gong incessantly, with a towel on his head. I asked him about it, and he said he was three years old. There are probably three generations of parents and children standing in a row. When he grows up, he will follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father.
This is not a rare sight in Tohoku. There is no doubt that the economic development of the large city of Kanto is advancing, and its convenience is unrivaled. But here in the Tohoku region, I feel that something that has been forgotten in the big city is definitely alive and well preserved. I am very jealous of the Tohoku region.