More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

Last week  I visited the mountain temple of Hozanji in Ikoma, when I arrived at the main torii there were preparations underway to insta...

While exploring Kagoshima Jingu I watched to miko practising for a ceremony later that night. Miko Mai, or Miko dance is believed to ...

After dropping down from the mountains to the river valley that would lead to my hotel for the night in Hayato City, I spied a big red...

After the Orochi arrives they then do a series of synchronized movement. Audiences here kn0w very well when some kagura has been ...

Orochi Last night we went to Hamada to see the annual Orochi Spectacle. They close off the center crossroads in town and put on regular kag...

On Sunday I was privileged to finally meet one of my heroes. We went down to Tokuyama in Yamaguchi to see the last public event of D...

Most evenings I hear the badger snuffling around just outside my house, so when I saw it yesterday afternoon I got out there with my ...

On Wednesday I came back one day earlier than planned from my Kyushu Pilgrimage because I found out that my friend Hiroki Okano and f...

Hannya-in is the second temple on the Kyushu Pilgrimage I am walking. Its located in a hilly suburb of Fukuoka City. Like all 108 of...

Shujo Onie Fire Festival February 10th was the Lunar New Year and on the 16th the Shujo Onie Festival was held to mark the occasion. It w...

This is the second half of a post on the Oeyama dance as performed at last years matsuri up in Kanzui, The first half can be found her...

The next dance at last years all-night matsuri in Kanzui was Oeyama, a big production with an unusually large cast for a kagura dance so I...

So, it's about one-thirty in the morning and the sixth dance of the matsuri begins, Daikoku and Ebisu. There is not really a story, ...

Suzukayama is another hero versus demon piece based on a Noh drama. The hero is Sakanoue Tamuramaro who was given the title of shogun (ba...

Its just about midnight at the small shrine in the mountain settlement of Kanzui not far from my own village. The annual matsuri got under...

October means matsuri, and matsuri means kagura!! usually by the middle of October I have been to half a dozen all-night matsuris, but this ...

These 3 short clips of traditional Japanese children's songs are from the Warabekan, a toy and childrens song museum in Tottori City. Th...

The seventh kagura matsuri for us this month was at Kakushi in Gotsu. Being in a town there were lots of people there and lots of stalls. Th...

After watching a few dances up at the matsuri in Kanzui, it was time to head back to our own matsuri in Tanijyugo. The Kakko dance had just ...

Saturday was the matsuri in our own village, but first we headed up into the mountains to check out a matsuri we hadn't been to before a...