Yokagura

夜神楽

Kagura, a series of traditional Shinto dances, is performed in a variety of forms around Japan. In Hinokage Kagura is performed on stages called ‘kagura-yado’ at shrines and in private homes to give thanks for each year's crop and pray for bountiful harvests in the future. In ‘yokagura,’ or ‘night kagura,’ all 33 dances in the traditional series are performed continuously from dusk one evening until well into the following day. As the dances progress, both dancers and their audience intermix and entertain themselves with abundant food and drink to stave off the cold of winter. In Hinokage four separate styles of kagura dancing are represented, Iwato Kagura, Shikaso Kagura, Fukasumi Kagura, and Iwaigawa Kagura, with each performed in their respective districts every year from November through February. As a result of the differing teaching styles of kagura masters, there are a number of large and small observable differences between each of these kagura styles, and even within a particular style.

Yokagura (Night Kagura) Performances

Date	Event	Location	Kagura Style	Notes
Mid-January	Ohito Yokagura	Ohito Kabuki Hall	Iwaigawa
Early-February	Kozaki Yokagura	Kozaki Public Hall	Iwaigawa	1st Saturday of the month, until 12am
Mid-December	Shishigawa Yokagura	Shishigawa Public Hall	Iwato	2nd Saturday of the month
Mid-December	Osuge Yokagura	Osuge Village	Fukasumi	2nd Saturday of the month

Kagura Performances

Date	Event	Location	Kagura Style	Notes
Mid-February	Hirashimizu Kagura	Hirashimizu Public Hall	Iwato	lasts until 12am
Early-December	Shiiya	Akiba Shrine	Iwato	1st Saturday of the month
Early-December	Kusubaru Kagura	Kusubaru Shrine	Iwato
Mid-December	Nakamura Kagura	Nakamura Public Hall	Iwato	2nd Saturday of the month
Mid-December	Takasuno Kagura	Takasuno Public Hall/Shrine	Iwato	2nd Saturday of the month
Late-December	Itobira Kagura	Itobira Shrine or Public Hall	Iwaigawa
Late-December	Fukasumi Kagura	Fukasumi Shrine	Fukasumi