When I first moved to the Iwami area I had never heard of kagura, let alone Iwami Kagura, but it didn't take long to notice that people in Iwami take their kagura very seriously. Kagura images are everywhere, nowhere more so than Hamada.
The above demon is on a huge window at the Yuhi Park roadstation.
Susano battling Yamata no Orochi has recently appeared on some small draincovers.
Shoki quells a demon on the side of a "honey wagon" (trucks for emptying the cesspits)
The inside of this little bar is also decorated with masks and paraphenalia from kagura.
And of course there are sites to see kagura performances, not just the shrines and their matsuris, but shopping malls, visitor centres, road stations etc.
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So that's where they got the idea for the Saw movies in American from. Always stealing from Japan.
ReplyDeleteI just recently discovered your blog. Thank you so much for sharing the things you see and your comments on them. I'm delighted with your perspective and eye for detail, and share your fascination with masks, things oni-ish, matsuri and more. Thanks, I'm definitely going to be here more often.
ReplyDelete-Teramis
I miss stumbling upon Iwami Kagura at Green Mall.
ReplyDelete