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In Yurihonjo City, there is a traditional folk art called "Honkai Shishimai Bangaku," which is designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. It is said that "Honkai Shishimai Bangaku" was introduced to the Yuri region more than 400 years ago, and it is still preserved and performed today by 13 traditional groups in Yurihonjo City.
Kagura is a dance to entertain the gods
What kind of folk performing art is Bangaku?
"Bangaku" is a type of sacred dance (kagura) that was introduced to the Tohoku region about 400 years ago by mountain ascetics (shugenja/yamabushi) who came from Kyoto. It is only called "Bangaku" in Akita and Yamagata prefectures.
Kaguraais defined as "dance performed to entertain the gods" (Source: Agency for Cultural Affairs). Humans cannot survive without growing crops. To do this, they need sunlight, adequate water, and a rich forest that nourishes animals. However, these workings of nature are beyond human control.
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,Cave-Omikami, who had hidden herself inAmaterasuto attract the attention ofAme-Kagura originated when
The story of Ama-no-Iwato is a myth written in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Japan's first historical records. It is unknown when actual Kagura dances began to be performed. However, the Imperial family hasMikagura, a type of Kagura dance performed only within the palace, and it continues to this day. Its origins are said to date back to 1002 during the Heian period.
While the Mikagura (Imperial Shinto dance) has traditionally been performed only within the Imperial family, there is alsoSatokagura(village Shinto dance), which was performed at shrines and among the common people. Satokagura is said to have originated from Mikagura, and it became the prototype for the Kagura that is still performed as a folk art today.
The word Kagura was born in Kyoto during the Heian period
compiled in the 9th centuryShūi,"the kagura of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine" and "the sacred kagura of the Kamo Temporary Festival." The prevailing theory is 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
It was the Shugendo practitioners, who used the rugged mountains as their training grounds, who introduced Kagura (sacred dance and music) to the Tohoku region. Shugendo, a unique Japanese mountain worship that blends Buddhism, Taoism, and Shinto,isin Nara around the 7th centuryMount Yamato Katsuragi. 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
Yamabushi Kagura, originally performed by ascetic monks, eventually became popular among the general public and has been passed down as a folk art in Akita, Yamagata, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures. Famous examples 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 "Honkai Shishimai Bangaku" is also a representative Yamabushi Kagura of Japan, designated as a Nationally 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
TheHonkai Shishimai Banrakuwas introduced to the various villages of the former Chokai town by Honkai Gyōnin (Honkaibō),Daigoji Sanpōin Templea Shugendō practitioner fromascetic training during the Kan'ei era(1624-1644). It is still passed down in 13 villages in the Chokai area today. Each of the 13 villages has formed a traditional group called a "Shishimai Kōchū" (Lion Dance Association), which inherits the Shishimai Banraku passed down in 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)
"Honkai Shishimai BanrakuThe dances performed inOkinabut also ceremonial dances such asYama no"Kami" dances to the gods such asKen"no Mai," warrior dances such as "Soga" and "Yashima," and female dances such as "Kanemaki" and "Hashibiki," as well as pieces that have connections to Noh theater. According to "Honkai-ryu Shishimai Hiden Daiji," which is passed down in each group, there are a total of 48 pieces: 7 lion dances, 7 ceremonial dances, 8 god dances, 12 warrior dances, 7 female dances, and 7 clown dances, etc. However, only about 30 pieces are still being passed down in total across all groups.
The Chokai Lion Festival brings together all the currently active members of the group
The "Chokai Lion Dance Festival" is a festival where all currently active "Honkai Lion Dance Banraku Troupe" groups gather together, and it will be held in early August at a special outdoor venue in Chokai Health Plaza. You can enjoy the traditional performing art, which is designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of Japan, performed on a special stage set up outdoors, in a fantastical atmosphere surrounded 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
The Yurihonjo City Folk Performing Arts Museum "Maireis the center of the folk performing arts of Yurihonjo City, with "Honkai Shishimai Banraku" at its core. Masks and lion heads used in "Honkai Shishimai Banraku" are on display, and on the third Sunday of every month, "Honkai Shishimai Banraku" and other Banraku performances from other areas such as Nikaho City are staged.
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 led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts
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