The COVID-19 pandemic has driven to the brink of folding the only apparel shop in Hiroshima Prefecture that specializes in creating costumes for performers of kagura, a form of Shinto theatrical dance.
The predicament faced by the shop, which has long helped sustain the local tradition, is now putting the survival of the ritualistic dance, defined by its sartorial beauty, at risk in Hiroshima.
Founded in 1998, the shop, Kaguraya, has dedicated itself to producing kagura outfits with their meticulously designed embroidery.