人々のくらしと共に
舞い続けられてきた
神楽と職人の技

Kagura and craftsmanship
that have continued to be performed alongside people's lives.

Iwami Kagura

“Hamada, the town that created Iwami Kagura”
The traditional performing arts, “Iwami Kagura”, continues to evolve by creating new dances. At the same time, dances that have been passed down since ancient times are preserved and passed on. It has developed together, with the craftsmanship culture that supports Iwami Kagura. The beautiful, vibrant Kagura costumes, and the masks and snake body props made of Sekishu Washi (one of the World-Heritage listed Japanese washi papers), are all made by craftsmen here in Hamada.
The profound, yet light-hearted dancing of Iwami Kagura captivates all who sees it.

Mera Kagura, the Shinto music and the dance of the Mera district

Mera Kagura (Shiromi-Kagura) has been practiced at Shiromi Shrine in the Shiromi area of Saito City. Mera Kagura is Miyazaki’s first national important intangible folk cultural asset. Surrounded by precipitous mountains and fields, Shiromi has been deforested and burnt to harvest millet throughout the ages. This slash-and-burn agriculture is susceptible to damage by birds and wildlife, especially by boars. Hunting is indispensable in life in the region, its timeless importance having been expressed in a religious manner through Mera Kagura.

Ohae Kagura

It is widely held that Ohae Kagura was originated in 1121 by Iki Uta no Kami, who was in service to the shrine Tsuma-jinja in Saito, built a komodō (hermitage) in the region of Yunokata in Merayama, preached Shugendō mountain ascetism and taught kagura. Iki Uta no Kami is said to descend to Earth as Yunokata Wakamiya Daimyōjin during Hanakijin – the fifth dance in the repertoire that leads into Hisashi. During Shukujin, the eighth dance in the repertoire, the Iki family permit prayers to be said to welcome their patron deity from Iwashimizu Hachimangū Shrine in Kyoto, who arrives, with the highest degree of reverence in Ohae Kagura, as Iwashimizu Shō Hachiman Daimyōjin.
It is said that kagura has its origin in the culture people had of offering prayers for a good birth, a good life and for the soul after death. In particular, the worship of nature and its associated philosophy, which are held to be the origins of this prayer culture, are reflected strongly in the dances.

Nakanomata Kagura

It is believed that Nakanomata-jinja, where the repertoire of 33 kagura dances is performed, was founded in 1504. The shrine is something of a sōsha, or blanket shrine, with four main deities: besides Ubatake Daimyōjin, said to have been called over from Mt. Sobo, the region that stretches over the areas of Higo, Bungo and Hyuga, by prayers, similar to other Shinto shrines in the mountains, the shrine also venerates Emperor Jimmu, Usa Hachiman and Kasuga Inari Daimyōjin. Nakanomata Kagura is mainly performed by the families of the local priests. The disused Nakanomata Elementary School building is also used to give children a chance to experience life in a rural mountain community – many of the children that learn kagura there return to Nakanomata after they grow up on festival days to perform the dances.

Koshinoo-Kagura

The Koshi-no-O Kagura follows the tradition of the Siromi Kagura. In Siromi, it was considered "not to be taken outside," but it was passed down to Koshi-no-O by residents of the Hae district in Higashi-Mera. Around the beginning of the Showa era, the parishioners of Kobaru Inari Jinjya proposed incorporating music into their festival. They invited performers from the Hae district, and the practice of flute and drum began. Once they mastered the music, they felt it was not enough and started to learn the Kagura dances as well. Practice sessions were held from sunset until around midnight, and the sound of flutes and drums echoed through the cold night air. After much effort and perseverance, the Kagura they mastered has been passed down to this day and is dedicated as Yokagura (Night Kagura) at the annual festival of Kobaru Inari jinjya.

Ogawa Kagura

Mera-jinja, the main village shrine in the Ogawa region, venerates the deities Ōyamazumi no mikoto and Iwanaga-hime no mikoto. It is said that the main jinjya building drifted from upstream in the great flood of 1703, and came to rest at the jinjya’s present location. According to a Munafuda[a board containing the history of the jinjya], the jinjya was rebuilt in 1705 by Mera Norinobu, head of the Mera Family. Ogawa kagura was passed down through the generations there at Mera-jinja, and is performed in the Kagura hall every year on the second Saturday and Sunday of December.

Murasho Kagura

Besides raising shime (sacred pillars used to welcome the gods) and performing all 33 dances in the kagura repertoire at the Murasho Community Center, in December, kagura is also performed at Sae Inari-jinja, and several other jinjya in the area.
The first part of the kagura, in which “Daiō-sama,” said to be Prince Kanenaga, together with local deities and others relating to the ancient Southern Court, descends to earth, is called the “kami kagura” (“kagura for the gods”), and consists of several solemn dances rich in ritualism. After the “shime ogami” (“prayer to the shime”), which announces the end of the kami kagura, is performed, it is time for the more stirring and rousing “min kagura” (“kagura for the people”), during which more lively kagura and musical accompaniment is permitted.