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Kaze No Bon: Kaze no Bon is a Japanese festival held every year from September 1 to 3. Kaze-no-Bon literally translates to “Bon Dance of the Wind.” This is a traditional folk event to appease the wind and pray for a bountiful crop, and is held every year for three days.  I

Gion Matsuri: The Gion Matsuri, familiarly known as ‘Gion-san,’ is a festival of Yasaka-jinja Shrine, and the highlight is the splendid pageant of some 20 and 10 floats called yamaboko proceeding along the main streets of Kyoto on the 17th and 24th. The streets are lined w

Bunraku: Bunraku is the traditional puppet theater of Japan, with a high-level stage art.  Originally, the term Bunraku referred only to the particular theater established in 1805 in Osaka, which was named the Bunrakuza after the puppeteering ensemble of Uemura Bunrakuken (1751-1810),

Kumiodori: Kumiodori is a Japanese performing art found on the Okinawa islands. It is based upon traditional Okinawan music and dance, but also incorporates elements from mainland Japan, such as Nogaku or Kabuki, as well as from China. Kumiodori dramas recount local historical events

Mibu No Hana Toui: Mibu no Hana Taue’ is an agricultural ritual to worship the deity of rice fields for an abundant harvest of rice crops. It is a social practice in which people pray for a safe production in agriculture. ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ has been transmitted mainly by the people o

Akiu no Taue Odori: “Akiu no Taue Odori”, i.e. the ritual dance for the rice cropping in the Akiu Town, has been transmitted by the people in the three communities, and is one of so-called “folk performing arts” openly performed as an annual event in this region. It belongs to the cat

Onikenbai: Oni Kenbai is a traditional dance in the Kitakami area of Iwate.  “Onikenbai,” can roughly be translated as “Demon Dance with sword.” This local dance has enjoyed a long history dating back 1,300 years ago and has been performed by local people ever

Noh: Noh or Nogaku derived from the Sino-Japanese word for “skill” or “talent”—is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan’ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art s

Kanto Matsuri: The Kanto Matsuri, (“pole lantern festival”) is a Tanabata related celebration in Akita City, held every year from August 3 to 6 in  in hope for a good harvest.  Around two hundred bamboo poles five to twelve metres long, bearing twenty-four or forty-six lan

Biwa Hoshi: Biwa hōshi , also known as “lute priests”, were travelling performers in the era of Japanese history preceding the Meiji period. They earned their income by reciting vocal literature to the accompaniment of biwa music. Often blind, they adopted the shaved heads