Considered Japan’s oldest form of performing art, kagura traces its origins to ancient Shinto shrine festivals and involves both singing and dancing. In Iwami, all-night kagura has long been a fixture of the evening before the annual autumn festival, which is held to celebrate the harvest and the blessings of the sea.
There are about 30 kagura plays in total, most of them inspired by stories from Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the two great records of Japanese mythology. Making use of fireworks, lights and other special effects, Kagura is also considered one of the more entertaining traditional Japanese arts. Performances usually take place on Saturday evenings at Sannomiya Shrine in Hamada, but do check the official website for the detailed schedule.
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AloJapan.com