Added to inquiry!
TRAVEL

Daidai Kagura -The Ritual Dance of Iki, the Island of the Gods-

TRAVEL 2017 30 mins Episode(s): 1 english Japanese
[Festivals of Japan Season 1]

Iki Island, in Nagasaki Prefecture, has about 1,000 shrines. The Iki Kagura is an ancient and sacred dance practiced only by Shinto priests and is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. The sacred ceremony is carried out with the playing of flute and drum accompanied by dance. Every year on the 20th of December, the longest dance of the Iki Kagura, the Daidai Kagura, is performed at the Sumiyoshi Shrine. This dance lasts over 7 hours and is considered a time of pleasure and celebration for both people and the gods.

Click here to preview the program!

Part of "Festivals of Japan - Season 1"

  •  

    The Eyes that Survey an Ever-Changing City- Shibuya, Tokyo
    2019 30 mins

    [Beauty of Japan Season 2] When asked where they would like to visit in Japan, the most popular answer that foreign tourists give is “Shibuya.” Yet with major developments planned, the site is about to change drastically. We shift our view to observe “Shibuya” from the perspective of foreigners and...
    more details
  •  

    Spellbinding Yotaka Festival- Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture
    30 mins

    [Beauty of Japan Season 2] Tonami City's Yotaka Festival is said to bring good harvests. Its show-stopping parade consists of 6-meter-tall red decorative paper lanterns, and its highlight is the great paper lantern fight. Fighting bravely but gracefully, it showcases the very moment in which the lanterns look the most...
    more details
  •  

    Nagasaki Kunchi -A Ride on the Nanbansen-
    2018 30 mins

    [Festivals of Japan Season 2] The "Nagasaki Kunchi" is a festival that holds a 380-year history. Dragons coil and children dance to the many performances, giving life and color to the festival stage. One such performance is the dynamic and flamboyant "Dozamachi Nanbansen". It is a reenactment of the heyday...
    more details
  •  

    Hachinohe Enburi -The Festival to Beckon Spring-
    2017 30 mins

    [Festivals of Japan Season 1] The Hachinohe Enburi is a traditional festival that takes place in the southern region of Aomori Prefecture. It's held to bring forth good harvests and to welcome the coming of spring. Dancers called tayu wear headdresses made in the shape of horse heads and shake...
    more details