Three UNESCO cultural heritage sites: Dainichido Buraku, Hanawabashi, and Bon Odori in the Kemauchi - Traditional events in Kakunodate City 1　

Kazuno City , Akita Prefecture, is located in the northeastern part of Akita Prefecture, and is a municipality Showa Hanawa Town, Osarizawa Town , and Hachimantai Village it and Kosaka Town in Akita Prefecture formed Kazuno County, and until the Edo period, the entire Kazuno County belonged to the Nanbu Domain (present-day Iwate Prefecture and Aomori Prefecture).

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The Kazuno area was at the mercy of the chaos of the Meiji Restoration

During the Meiji Restoration, all feudal domains controlled by daimyo were abolished and reorganized into prefectures under the control of the central government. In the years between the Meiji Restoration and the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, there was great confusion, with the original Dewa Province (Akita and Yamagata Prefectures) being split into Ugo Province (Ugo Province, almost Akita Prefecture) and Uzen Province (Uzen Province, Yamagata Prefecture), and the many feudal domains within the region being renamed prefectures. However, when the feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established in August 1871 (Meiji 4), Ugo Province was merged into Akita Prefecture and Uzen Province was merged into Yamagata Prefecture

At that time, the attributes of some areas were changed taking into consideration regional characteristics, etc. For example, the area north of the Mogami River in the southern foot of Mount Chokai in southern Akita Prefecture was called Akumi County, and was part of Ugo Province (Akita), but after the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, it became part of Yamagata Prefecture (Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture = Yuzamachi, part of Sakata City)

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Kazuno City was eventually incorporated into Akita Prefecture and settled down

During the Edo period, the Kazuno region, including Kazuno City, belonged to the Nanbu Domain (Morioka Domain), whose territories included Morioka (Iwate Prefecture) and Hachinohe (Aomori Prefecture). As part of the dissolution of the domains following the Meiji Restoration, the Morioka region of the Nanbu Domain became Morioka Prefecture, and the region became part of Morioka Prefecture. In 1869 (Meiji 2), the region changed affiliation to Kunohe Prefecture, Hachinohe Prefecture, Sannohe Prefecture, and Esashi Prefecture, changing affiliation to five different prefectures in one year. The shortest period of time was six days in Hachinohe Prefecture

Later, when the feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established, the Kazuno region was incorporated into Akita Prefecture as Kazuno County. The reason for its incorporation is unclear as no official documents remain, but it is said that the Kazuno region was located on the west side of the Ou Mountains, which acted as a watershed separating the west and east of Tohoku, in other words, on the Akita Prefecture side, and the Yoneshiro River, which flows into the Sea of ​​Japan, was a major artery for life and the economy

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Kazuno City has been inhabited since ancient times and is famous for the Oyu Stone Circle and the remains of the Osarizawa Mine

People have lived in the Kazuno region since ancient times. Many ruins from the Jomon to Heian periods have been discovered on the hills on the banks of the Yoneshiro River that flows through the Kazuno Basin. In particular, the Oyu Stone Circle, a large stone circle ruin from the late Jomon period (approximately 4,000 years ago), is registered as a World Heritage Site as one of Japan's most representative Jomon ruins

Kazuno first appeared in historical records in the late 9th century during the Heian period, where it was written under the place name "Kazuno. "

At the beginning of the Kamakura period, the Kazuno region was under the control of vassals of the Nanbu clan, and remained part of the Nanbu clan's territory until the Edo period. It is believed that the reason the Nanbu clan did not give up the Kazuno region, located in a remote area beyond the Ou Mountains, was because the region was home to the Osarizawa Mine,

Oyu Stone Circle Information

• Facility name: Oyu Stone Circle
• Cultural property designation: World Heritage Site (component of the "Jomon Sites in Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku"), Nationally designated special historic site
• Location: Manza, Towada Oyu, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0186‑37‑3822
• Visiting hours:
• [Ruins]
• April to October: 9:00 to 17:30 (opening hours are limited)
• November: 9:00-16:00 (Closed on Mondays. Opening hours are limited.)
• Closed for winter (mid-November to mid-April)
• * Free for viewing only
• [Stone Circle Museum]
• Regular period/April 1st to October 31st 9:00-18:00
• Snowfall season/November 1st to March 31st 9:00 to 16:00
• Closed: Only during snowy season, Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), New Year's holidays
• Admission fee: Adults 320 yen, Children 110 yen
• URL: Oyu Stone Circle
• access:
• Public transportation: Get off at Kazuno-Hanawa Station on the JR Hanawa Line, then take the bus bound for Oyu Onsen for approximately 35 minutes and get off at the Oyu Kanjo Retsusekimae bus stop

Google Map

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Osarizawa Mine Ruins Information

• Facility name: Historic Site of Osarizawa Mine
• Cultural Property Designation: Heritage of Industrial Modernization
• Address: 13-5 Shishizawa, Osarizawa, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture
• For inquiries, please contact: 0186-22-0123
• Visiting hours:
• April to October: 9:00-17:00
• November to March: 9:00 to 15:30
• Holiday:
• Wednesdays only in winter (open on New Year's and public holidays)
• Admission fee:
• Mining History Museum/Free
• Tourist tunnel course: Adults 1,000 yen, Junior and senior high school students 800 yen, Elementary school students 600 yen
• *Experiences such as gold panning are available separately
• URL: Osarizawa Mine
• access:
• Public transportation: Approximately 10 minutes by taxi or bus from Kazuno-Hanawa Station on the JR Hanawa Line
• By car: Approximately 10 minutes from Kazuno Hachimantai IC on the Tohoku Expressway

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Three traditional performing arts that have developed independently and been passed down through the generations, partly due to the influence of the Nanbu clan

The Kazuno region, which was part of the Nanbu domain until the Edo period and Akita Prefecture since the Meiji period, retains folk performing arts, customs, and language with a strong southern flavor that are somewhat different from those of neighboring Odate City and the areas along the Yoneshiro River. Kazuno City is home to many intangible folk cultural properties designated by the national, prefectural, and municipal governments, but what is particularly noteworthy is that it has three folk performing arts designated as national intangible folk cultural properties

Originally, Akita Prefecture has 17 precious folk performing arts designated as national intangible folk cultural properties, the most of any prefecture (Niigata Prefecture is second with 13), and Kazuno City is the municipality with the most designated performing arts, along with Akita City, with three of them. Moreover, all three are registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage sites, representing Japan's cultural heritage

Here, from among the many folk performing arts, we will introduce three that have been designated as Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties by the national government: Dainichido Bugaku Hanawa Bayashi (a float event at the Hanawa Festival), and Kemanai Bon Odori.

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Dainichido Bugaku, the oldest Bugaku dance in Akita Prefecture, is performed at the grand festival of Dainichireiki Shrine, the guardian deity of Hachimantai

Dainichido Bugaku is a type of dance performed annually on January 2nd at Ohirumemuchi Shrine (commonly known as Dainichido), which is said to have been built by Emperor Keitai (450? - 531?, the 26th emperor) in Hachimantai, Kazuno City, in the northwestern part the high priest Gyoki (668-749) ordered Emperor Gensho (680-748, the 44th emperor) to rebuild Dainichido, which had been temporarily abandoned. Performers brought from the capital performed a dance here, which was then passed down by locals. It is said to be the oldest dance in Akita Prefecture.

Each of the four villages— Osato , Taninai , Azukisawa , and Nagamine Mikomai " and "Kanatemai" performed by the Noh sects of the four villages, the "Gongenmai" and " Dengakumai " of Azukisawa, the " Komamai " " Torimai " Koshomai of Osato the "Uhenmai " of Nagamine, "Godaisonmai" of Taninai. Performers wear masks and hold torimono (a type of catch), and dance to the accompaniment of flutes and drums. Dainichido Bugaku's unique style, while the performers' movements and other elements hint at the archaic charm of medieval performing arts, is unique in that it also displays various aspects that have been uniquely adapted to the local area. (Reference: Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Properties Online)

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Dainichido Bugaku Information

• Name: Dainichido Bugaku
• Cultural Property Designation: Nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
• Venue: Dainichireiki Shrine (Dainichi Hall)
• Address: 4-1 Arata, Hanawa, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0186-32-2706
• Date: January 2nd every year
• Preservation group: Dainichido Bugaku Preservation Society
• URL: Dainichido Bugaku
• access:
• Public transportation: Approximately 1 minute walk from Hachimantai Station on the JR Hanawa Line
• By car: Approximately 5 minutes from Kazuno Hachimantai IC on the Tohoku Expressway

Google Map

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Ten gorgeous floats compete against each other. The lively music of "Hanawa Bayashi" resonates all night long

" Hanawa Bayashi " Sakiwai Inari Shrine . The festival is held every year from August 16th to 20th. "Hanawa Bayashi" is an event that takes place on the last two days of the festival, from the 19th to the 20th, and is performed by 10 gorgeous floats decorated with real lacquer and gold leaf, brought out from each neighborhood of Hanawa. The floats first gather at the Otabisho, where the deity is enshrined, and then at around 5:30 pm, they parade through the town toward Hanawa Station accompanied by spirited music from drums, flutes, gongs, shamisen, and more.

The Hanawa Bayashi floats have wheels on all four corners and can be pushed by hand. However, they generally have no floor. The performers of the Ohayashi troupe, including the flute, bell, and shamisen players, have a floor to move around, but the large number of taiko drummers move on foot in time with the movements of the float

Around 8pm, the 10 floats gather in front of Hanawa Station, where a spectacular festival music battle ensues, hailed as the best in Japan, followed by a parade through the town of Hanawa, the music ringing out all night long. At dawn on the 20th, all 10 floats gather in one place, and the festival ritual, the Masugata Ceremony, is solemnly carried out. After a break from around 6am, the floats begin parading through the town again from around 11am. At around 8pm, all floats gather in front of Hanawa Station. After another festival battle, the floats depart for the red torii gate of Saiwai Inari Shrine at around 11:30pm, and the final ceremony is held upon arrival, bringing the festival to a close

The floats of "Hanawa Bayashi" are called "Koshinuke Yatai" (lower floats), and apparently they used to be found all over the country, but apart from "Hanawa Bayashi", the only other float that remains is the "Sokonuke Yatai Event" (Hanno City Intangible Folk Cultural Property) in Hanno City (Saitama Prefecture)

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Hanawa Bayashi Information

• Name: Hanawa Bayashi
• Location: Hanawa district, Kazuno city, Akita prefecture
• Cultural Property Designation: Nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property (as "Hanawa Festival Float Event") and registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (as part of "Yama, Hoko, and Float Events")
• Phone number: 0186-22-6088 (Hanawa Bayashi Festival Committee Secretariat)
• Date:
• Hanawa Bayashi / August 19th to August 20th
• Hanawa Festival / August 16th to 20th (Sachi Inari Shrine/Shinmeisha Shrine)
• Preservation Group Hanawa Bayashi Festival Committee
• URL: Hanawa Bayashi
• access:
• Public transportation: Get off at Kazuno Hanawa Station on the JR Hanawa Line
• By car: Approximately 8 minutes from Kaku-Hachimantai IC on the Tohoku Expressway

Google Map

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The start signaled by a large drum, the solemn "Oonosaka Dance", and the "Jinku" accompanied only by song. "Kemanai Bon Dance" has been going on for 450 years

The Kemanai Bon Odori is a Bon dance that takes place every year from August 21st to 23rd on Honmachi Street in Towada Kemanai, Kazuno City, near Lake Towada and the Oyu Stone Circle in the northern part of Kazuno City. The Bon Odori is divided into three main parts, and at the beginning, the start of the Bon Odori is signaled by the sound of a large drum called " Yose Taiko ."

The first dance is the " Dainosaka Dance ." Facing the road as if looking at the bonfires lit on the street, dancers line up in a row and dance slowly and gracefully to the accompaniment of large drums and flutes. This dance is performed to appease the spirits of ancestors, and is characterized by finishing with a prayerful clasp of the hands together. The dancers wear formal attire, such as tomesode (long-sleeved kimono) for women and crested kimono (traditional Japanese kimono) for men, and unique head coverings (hookaburi) that cover the mouth. During the time of the Nanbu clan, this area was the site of repeated battles with other clans, and women in this area were known as "Nambu beauties," so they wore hookaburi to hide their faces from soldiers from other clans.

The next dance is " Jinku ," which is performed without any accompanying music and is performed with just singing. The costumes are the same as those used in the "Oonosaka Dance," but since it originated as a dance performed at victory banquets during the Sengoku period, it has a strong celebratory element and also includes prayers for a good harvest.

There are records that in the past there were dancers in costumes and that the "Oonozaka Dance" had songs, but now the costumes and singers have died out and the tradition has not been passed down to the present day

It is said that the "Oonosaka Dance" began around 1657. It is also said that "Jinku" began around 1567, when the Nanbu clan won a battle against the Hiyama Ando clan of Noshiro. Furthermore, local historian Sugae Masumi (1754-1829) wrote about the "Oonosaka Bon Dance " in his book "Hina no Hitofushi," so it is certain that the "Kemanai Bon Dance" has been held since at least the mid-Edo period.

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Kemanai Bon Odori Festival Information

• Name: Kemanai Bon Dance
• Cultural Property Designation: Nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (Furyu Dances from 41 locations nationwide)
• Location: Komose Street, Towada Kemanai, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0186-30-3939
• Dates: August 21st to 23rd
• Preservation group: Kemanai Kita no Bon Festival Executive Committee
• URL: Kemanai Bon Odori
• access:
• Public transportation: Approximately 20 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by taxi from Towada-Minami Station on the JR Hanawa Line
• By car: Approximately 5 minutes from Towada IC on the Tohoku Expressway

Google Map

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