Kagura, a form of Shinto theatrical dance, is increasingly winning the hearts of young women in Shimane Prefecture, carving out a new fan base in the traditionally male-dominated music ritual that is grappling with a shortage of successors.
Dubbing themselves “kagurājo,” (kagura girls) these women typically express their admiration for the tradition by photographing various kagura shows, even going so far as to organize annual photo exhibitions to showcase their work.
One of the chief architects of the new movement is 32-year-old Kanae Takemoto of the Shimane city of Hamada.