 Fukui
Prefecture |
Mizumi
Dengaku and Noh Dances
(Designated by the national government
as an important intangible folk cultural property) |
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shrine is packed with some 300 spectators. |
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Two
medieval performing arts in graceful coexistence
In 1250 (Kencho 2), during the Kamakura period,
the people of this village performed dengaku
(rice-planting) dances to entertain the Emperor's
regent, Houjou Tokiyori, who was obliged to make
an extended stay there while the roads were impassible
due to a heavy snowfall. In return, Tokiyori taught
them how to perform Noh dances. This was the beginning
of the juxtaposition of the dengaku and
Noh dance traditions, and it led to the Mizumi
Dengaku and Noh Dances. Each year dengaku
dances such as Karasutobi (Flight of the
Crow) and Notto (Celebratory Words), and
performances of Noh plays such as Shikisanba,
Takasago, and Rashomon, are presented
at the main building of the Ukan Shrine as offerings
for a bountiful harvest and peace and tranquility
throughout the nation. Based on deep religious
beliefs associated with Mt. Hakusan, the forms
and rituals linked with the performance, such
as the method for assigning roles, fasting by
the dancers, and purification in the Mizumi River,
have been handed down from generation to generation.
Historically, the prototype of Noh called wakasa
sarugaku flourished in this village, and many
old Noh masks are still extant. |
Ikeda
Town, Fukui Prefecture
Performed February 15
Ikeda Town Board of Education
TEL:0778-44-8006 |
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Hi
no Taiko
(Locally designated intangible cultural
asset) |
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taiko tradition resounds into the future. |
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Passing
on the 300-year-old taiko tradition to new generations
The Mikuni taiko performance tradition
originated in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868),
when fires were lit and the taiko drums
sounded to quell the storms that ravaged the regions
near Mikuni. The town's annual performances were
established in 1955 (Showa 30), based on the style
of drumming traditional to the local area. Then,
in 1966 (Showa 41), after a film was shot here
in which the taiko performance figured
prominently, the name "Hi no Taiko"
(fire drums) was adopted for the event. This newfound
prominence also encouraged efforts to preserve
and pass down the tradition. Taiko-related
activity has been growing ever since. At present
the Mikuni Hi no Taiko Preservation Committee
has more than ten members ranging in age from
20 to over 60, one-third of whom are women. In
recent years they have received invitations to
international drum and percussion festivals throughout
the world. |
Mikuni Town, Fukui Prefecture
Performed the third Sunday in June
(coincides with Hiwatari Festival at Takidanji
Temple)
Mikuni Town Commerce, Industry and Tourism Department,
Fukui Prefecture
TEL:0776-82-3111
Mikuni Hi no Taiko Preservation Committee
TEL:0776-82-2503
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