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Yurihonjo City is home to " Honkai Shishimai Bangaku ," an ancient folk performing art that has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. "Honkai Shishimai Bangaku" is said to have been passed down in the Yuri region more than 400 years ago, and is still preserved and performed today by 13 traditional performing groups in Yurihonjo City.
Kagura is a dance to entertain the gods
What kind of folk performing art is Bangaku?
" Bangaku " is a form of kagura (sacred music and dancing) that was introduced by mountain worship practitioners (shugenja = mountain ascetics) who came from Kyoto to the Tohoku region about 400 years ago, and is only called "Bangaku" in Akita and Yamagata.
Kagura is a dance performed to entertain the godsnature cannot be controlled by human power.
People believed that a god in heaven controlled all things, and they prayed desperately to convey their wishes to that god. However, they realized that prayer alone would not satisfy the god, so they danced to entertain the god
Kagura began with a dance in front of the Ama-no-Iwato cave
Illustration of the story of Ama-no-Iwato. The origin of Iwato Kagura, 1889. Illustration by Shunsai Toshimasa (public domain)
According to Japanese mythology, Kagura began when Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto performed a dance to attract the attention of Amaterasu Omikami, who had hidden herself in the Ama- no - Iwato cave .
The story of Ama-no-Iwato is a myth found in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Japan's first historical texts. It is not known when Kagura dances actually began. However, the Imperial Family Mikagura , which is performed only at the Imperial Court, and it continues to this day. Its origins are said to date back to 1002 during the Heian period.
While Mikagura has only been performed within the Imperial family, there is another form of Sato Kagura . Sato Kagura is said to have derived from Mikagura, and this became the prototype for the Kagura that is still performed today as a folk performing art.
The word Kagura was born in Kyoto during the Heian period
The word "kagura" first appeared in the 9th century history book " Kogoshuui ," where it is described as " Kagura at Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine " and " Kagura at the Kamo Special Festival ," and it is generally believed that Kagura originated in the Heian period.
Kagura, which originated in Heian-kyo, has since spread to all parts of Japan, developing into styles unique to each region. However, at its core is a sincere prayer for the enjoyment of the eight million gods that reside in nature, for the prevention of natural disasters, bountiful harvests, and good health
Kagura spread throughout the country among the mountain ascetics who practiced in the mountains
Kagura was introduced to the Tohoku region by Shugensha, monks who practiced their asceticism in the rugged mountains. Shugendo,Mount Katsuragi in Nara, Yamato, around the 7th century . This mountain worship gradually spread throughout the country.
Shugendo became a huge trend from the Heian period through the Edo period, with many ascetics entering the mountains of the Tohoku region, including the Dewa Sanzan (Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan, and Mount Yudono, all in Yamagata Prefecture), as well as Mount Hayachine (Iwate Prefecture), Mount Osorezan (Aomori Prefecture), and Zao (Yamagata Prefecture). In Akita Prefecture, Mount Chokai, towering over the border with Yamagata Prefecture, and the Oga Peninsula became popular holy sites for Shugendo
The Yamabushi Kagura, which includes a lion dance, is taught to the villagers by the Yamabushi who descend to the village
Shugendo practitioners undertook harsh training in the mountains, mainly at shrines and temples that served as bases of Shugendo, but they would also descend to the villages during New Year's, rice planting, and harvest seasons to interact with the people of the villages. In front of the people, they would offer prayers (prayer) for exorcism, bountiful harvests, and good health and safety. On these occasions, lion dances and kagura dances were performed
The Shugendo practitioners paraded through the village with a lion's head at the front, and performed Kagura wherever people gathered. The Kagura dance performed by these Shugendo practitioners is known as Yamabushi Kagura, and it was a set of lion dance and Kagura. This is why Yamabushi Kagura is also called Shishimai Kagura
Originally performed by mountain ascetics, Yamabushi Kagura eventually became popular among the general public and has been passed down as a folk performing art in Akita, Yamagata, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures.Famous forms include " Nekkobangaku " (Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture; Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property) and " Hayachine Kagura" (Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture; Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property), but "Honkaishishimaibanraku " is also a representative Yamabushi Kagura form of Japan, designated as a Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Performance: Kagura @Yurihonjo City Tourism Association
Yamabushi Kagura is called "Bangaku" in Akita and Yamagata, but "Honkai Shishimai Banraku" is a kagura dance centered on the lion dance that is handed down in the former Chokai town (Yurihonjo city) at the northern foot of Mt. Chokai. "Honkai Shishimai Banraku" begins with a lion dance performed by two performers, and compared to lion dances from other regions, it is characterized by its more intense movements and frequent "ha-uchi" (striking of the upper and lower teeth together)
It is still handed down and performed in 13 villages in the former Chokai town
Honkai Shishimai Banraku was personally passed down to each village in the former Chokai town by Honkai Gyonin (Honkaibo from Sanboin Temple of Daigoji Templeduring the Kan'ei era (1624-1644), and is still passed down in the 13 villages in the Chokai area today. Each of the 13 villages has formed a tradition-keeping group called a " Shishimai Kochu ," which has inherited the Shishimai Banraku from each village and continues to preserve the tradition.
*As of January 1, 1995, six groups are currently suspended
*For information regarding current activities, please contact the Toriumi Education and Learning Division of the Yurihonjo City Board of Education (telephone number: 0184-57-2881)
The dances performed in " Honkai Shishimai Banraku , ceremonial dances such as Okina divine dances such as Yama noKami " " Kenno Mai ," samurai dances such as " Soga " and "Yashima," women's dances such as " Kanemaki " and "Hashihiki," and pieces that are similar to Noh. According to "Honkairyu Shishimai Hiden Daiji," which is handed down in each group, there are a total of 48 pieces, including 7 lion dances, 7 ceremonial dances, 8 divine dances, 12 warrior dances, 7 women's dances, and 7 clown dances, but only about 30 pieces are still being handed down today by each group.
The Chokai Lion Festival brings together all the currently active members of the group
The Chokai Lion Festival brings together the currently active Honkai Lion Dance Group, and is held in early August at a special outdoor venue in Chokai Health Plaza. Performed on a special outdoor stage, the traditional performing arts, designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, can be enjoyed in a fantastical atmosphere lit by bonfires.
Chokai Lion Festival <Information>
Name: Chokai Lion Festival
Venue: 30 Orikiri, Fushimi, Chokai-cho, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture
Timing: Mid-August
Phone number: 0184-57-2881 (Yurihonjo City Board of Education, Chokai Education and Learning Division)
Public transportation: Transfer at Yurihonjo Station on the JR Uetsu Main Line, get off at Yajima Station on the Yuri Kogen Railway Chokai Sanroku Line, and take a taxi for approximately 11 minutes
By car: Approximately 36 minutes from Honjo IC on the Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway via National Route 108
Google Map
"Mai-re" where you can learn about "Honkai Shishimai Banraku" and experience the actual dance
Folk Performing Arts Heritage Museum "Maire" the hub for the folk performing arts passed down in Yurihonjo city, with a focus on "Honkai Shishimai Banraku ." Masks and lion heads from "Honkai Shishimai Banraku" are on display, and on the third Sunday of every month, performances are held, including "Honkai Shishimai Banraku," as well as banraku from other areas such as Nikaho City.
The exterior of the Folk Performing Arts Museum Maire
Maire Folk Performing Arts Center <Information>
Name: Yurihonjo City Folk Performing Arts Museum Maire
Address: 135-9 Kubo, Fushimi, Chokai-cho, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture
Admission fee: 200 yen (free for high school students and younger)
Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), December 29th to January 3rd
access:
Public transportation: Transfer to JR Uetsu Main Line at Ugo-Honjo Station, get off at Yuri Kogen Railway Chokai Sanroku Line at Yajima Station, then take a taxi for about 10 minutes
By car: Approximately 35 minutes from Honjo IC on the Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway via National Route 108
Honkai Shishimai Banraku spread not only to the former Chokai town, but also to the Yuri region, including the former Yajima town (Yajima town, Yurihonjo city) and the Kisakata area (Kisagata town, Nikaho city), giving birth to numerous other Banraku styles known as the Honkai school. Today, the number of Banraku styles has decreased due to the disappearance and decline of villages, but there are still many Banraku styles that are cherished and passed down by the people of the villages, such as Chokaisan Hitachimai (Yokooka, Kisakata town, Nikaho city), which has been designated an intangible folk cultural asset of Akita prefecture
My love of travel grew, and I used to write a travel magazine, and now I'm a travel writer for the web. During my research, I visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, mainly in the Tohoku region, but my fun part is soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture such as old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts.
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