[Iwate] What is Shikaodori? Introducing details from features to episodes that make dancing more fun

Murasakihime
2022.04.09
Last updated: 2024.04.30

table of contents

1 What is Shikaodori?
2 Episodes you should know to make Shikaodori more fun
3 summary

Traditional dances that have been passed down in various parts of Japan have different characteristics depending on the region, and Shikaodori, which is widely passed down in Iwate Prefecture, is one such traditional dance.

In this article, we will introduce three stories you should know that will make Shikaodori even more fun.

What is Shikaodori?

Iwate prefecture's traditional dance "Shikaodori"

Shikaodori is a traditional dance that has been passed down mainly to Iwate Prefecture.The dancer covers the upper body with a deer head and a cloth hanging from it, and carries a sasara on his back, swaying his upper body back and forth to express the movements of a deer. Jump and dance vigorously.

Shikaodori is broadly divided into two types, Makuodori and Taikoodori, depending on whether the dancers play music or not, but we have summarized the characteristics of each in the table below.

	place to communicate	performance	deer head	behavior	Features
curtain dance	Northern to central Iwate Prefecture	do not	Wooden carved deer head with openwork carvings such as wooden horns and family crests	In time with the dance, there is a movement in which the curtain is held in hand and shaken wildly.	Features include ``kannagara'', which is made by thinly carving a type of willow tree with a planer, and ``zai'', which is made of paper hair.
Taiko drum dance	Southern Iwate Prefecture	do	A carved wooden deer head with real antler and hair called ``zai'' made from horse hair.	During the dance, there is a gesture of slamming Sasara to the ground to exorcise evil spirits.	Sasara, which is made by pasting shoji paper on split bamboo that is more than 3 meters long and looks like a gohei, is carried on one's back.

Taiko dance is further divided into three types: Gyuzan style, Kanazu style, and Kasuga style.

It was originally performed at community festivals, but now some schools have it as a club activity, so it can be said that the form of the deer dance has changed with the times.

Episodes you should know to make Shikaodori more fun

Here are three stories you should know that will make watching Shikaodori even more fun.

[Episode 1] Deer Dance and “Rarebito Faith”

As introduced in the previous section, the deer head used in the deer dance gives off a somewhat eerie feeling, but this is because the deer dance is thought to be an expression of "rarebito faith". .

``Maribito belief'' is a term defined by Japanese literature scholar Nobuo Orikuchi, and refers to the belief that ancestors protect people from evil spirits from the eternal world where the dead live, and that they come regularly every year to bless people. It is also considered important in folklore as a clue for exploring the beliefs of the Japanese people.

The deer dance was originally performed as a deer that came from the mountains to the gardens of houses, and after purifying the place by exorcising demons, its role was to perform prayers for a good harvest, New Bon memorial service, and other fun performances to calm the mood. .

This form of deer dance still exists in Esashi Ward, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture.

[Episode 2] Deer dance program

There are a variety of Shikaodori performances depending on the purpose, and each has a different level of difficulty.

The main performances of the curtain dance are as follows.

Inlet end
Niwabome
check
Pull end

The main programs of Taiko Odori are as follows.

Female deer (Mejishi)
scarecrow
Harukoma
Teppo dance
Tosa

Among these, the Mejishi Gakushi is one of the most commonly danced performances, and is performed by a parent deer called ``Nakadachi'' and six other deer actors. It is said that it is a performance that tests your ability to express yourself.

[Episode 3] “Deer dance” depicted in Kenji Miyazawa’s fairy tale

Kenji Miyazawa, a poet and fairy tale writer from Iwate Prefecture, left behind a work called ``The Beginning of the Deer Dance,'' which uses the deer dance as a motif.

Although the work is in the form of ``I'' telling a rumor from the West Wind, it is said that the theme is the true spirit of the deer dance.

Kenji Miyazawa is said to have had synesthesia, which is a combination of senses such as sensing colors in letters and sensing shapes in tastes, smells, etc. ” is said to express Kenji Miyazawa's synesthesia, where he senses words in sounds.

If you want to understand what kind of spirit resides in people forgetting the distinction between themselves and deer and dance together, from the world of synesthesia felt by Kenji Miyazawa, please read "The Beginning of Deer Dance". Please read it.

Reference: Aozora Bunko “The Beginning of the Deer Dance”

summary

Deer dance is broadly divided into two types, curtain dance and taiko drum dance, and it is still danced in various forms such as festivals and club activities, but the world of deer dance as depicted in rare people's beliefs, performances, and Kenji Miyazawa's fairy tales. I found that I could enjoy it more if I paid more attention to things like sightseeing.

Please refer to this article and enjoy watching Shikaodori even more.