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 ...
Iwami-kagura: The changing face of a Shimane theatrical tradition
Kneeling on the floor of his atelier in the Nagahama district of Hamada, Shimane Prefecture, master craftsman Katsuro Ka-kita applies the finishing touches to one of his colorful, striking and sometimes terrifying creations. Each depicts characters from Japanese mythology, such as the jealous female demon ...
Ichikawa Kagura: Saving the dances of the gods
As performers of Shinto theatrical dance age, the Sanriku International Arts festival hopes to encourage youth to help preserve tradition.
Communing with the gods in Hiroshima's kagura performances
Music and dance spectacle is part of Japan's rich performing arts heritage.
Hip-hopper captivated by small-town 'kagura' shrine dance
A young woman's attraction to an old and largely unknown Shinto dance has led her to relocate from Kyoto to a small hot-spring town in Shimane Prefecture in the hope of helping to preserve the local theatrical art, believed to date back to the ...
