Holiday Kagura

December 20, 2011June 8, 2016 Paul Walsh 4981 Views kagura

The holiday season provides a couple of opportunities to check out the extravagant costumes, and frenetic drum rhythms that characterize kagura dance in the Chugoku region.

Both occasions are good opportunities to catch a bunch of the many dance troupes that are based out in the north of Hiroshima prefecture in the city center.

You can find some English information on Hiroshima kagura, as well some more clips of some of the tales to be performed at the events below, here.

Night Kagura at the Former Bank of Japan Building

The Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce is once again putting on free kagura performances at the Former Bank of Japan building (Kyu Nichigin) Thursday, December 22 – Saturday, December 24..

On each of the nights there will two 45 minute performances starting at 19:30 and finishing at 21:10. Although the costumes, music and dancing are really entertaining even without having a clue about what’s going on, the Chamber of Commerce have been making an effort to make the shows more accessible by providing English synopses of the folk tales to non-Japanese visitors so they can follow the action. Nights one and two, both provide a chance to see the crowd-pleaser Yamata-no-orochi with it’s climatic battle against a giant eight-headed snake.

They will close the doors if it gets full so you should probably try and get there a bit ahead of time.

Schedule of performances

On Thursday, December 22 the Hasadake Troupe (Takamiya, Akitakada-shi) perform Suzukayama and Yamata-no-orochi (There is a 30min opening ceremony before the performances get under way at 19:30.)
On Friday, December 23 The Sanshou Troupe (Tsushimi, Kita-hiroshima-cho ) perform Katsuragisan and Yamata-no-orochi
On Saturday, December 24 The Ikadatsu Troupe (Oasa, Kita-hiroshima-cho ) perform Jinrin and Tsuchigumo

New Year Kagura at Green Arena

Over the New Year holiday, two days of kagura performances are held in Green Arena every year. Doors open at 10am and the performances kick off at 11am and continue until about 4pm.

Schedule of performances

Monday, January 2