The Story of

IZUMO
KAGURAWhat is Kagura?
Since ancient times, people in Japan have believedthat gods inhabit everything in nature such as rocks andtrees. Human beings embodied spirits that resonatedand sympathized with nature, thus treasured its
aesthetic beauty.
The word kagura is believed to refer to festive
rituals carried out at kamikura (the seats of gods),
and its meaning suggests a “place for calling out andcalming of the gods.” The theory posits that the word
kamikuragoto (activity for the seats of gods) was
shortened to kankura, which subsequently became
kagura.

History of Izumo Kagura

In the ancient era of these mythological gods,
Amaterasu (the goddess of the sun) shut herself in Amano-Iwato, the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave, leading
to darkness on earth and countless tribulations. It is said
that as this suffering occurred, the god Ame-no-Uzume
danced flamboyantly in front of the cave and succeededin driving Amaterasu out and bringing light back to theworld.
—A dance to please the gods— this is believed to be
the origin of kagura.

Sada Shinno (a U NESCO Intangible Cult u ral
Heritage), developed at Sada Shrine (in Kashima-cho,
Matsue), is part of the ancient Izumo Kagura.
Of the three parts that comprise Izumo Kagura, theshichiza is first performed to purify the kagura site. In
this ritual dance, a torimono (prop) is carried by handwith the face remaining unmasked.
Shikisanba and shinno are believed to have been
added to Izumo Kagura during the Edo period. Legendsays, during the early modern Keicho period (15961615), Shinto priests at Sada Shrine went to study Noh
in Kyoto, and incorporated it into the existing kagura
upon their return. A piece from the Kaikitsudan (Jo-ou
2, 1653) written by Confucian scholar Sekisai Kurosawa
of Matsue domain recounts a performance of shinno
at Matsue Castle, so it appears that at the very latest,
shinno existed by the early Edo period. Sada Shinno (aritual of Sada Shrine) had a significant effect on kagura
in the Izumo region. This resulted in its three parts.
In fact, there are hints that Izumo Kagura’s history
dates back even further, with gogyo, etc. performed
prior to the establishment of Sada Shinno.
Now, every fall, Izumo Kagura is performed as alocal festive event to provide offerings to the regional
deity. In some areas, “yokagura” (night kagura) is
performed, extending long into the night.

The Shimane Prefecture is a region which boasts
a f lourishing, nationally renowned kagura scene,with over 200 kagura groups currently active in theprefecture. Within Shimane Prefecture, the regions of
Izumo, Iwami, and Oki have their own unique style ofkagura.
Kagura of the Izumo region, k nown as Izumo
Kagura, is best characterized by three parts: shichiza,shikisanba, and shinno.

Dedicated to the gods, the kagura ritual was once
performed strictly by those such as Shinto priests who
serve to the gods. However, at the start of the Meiji era(around 1870), kagura performed by Shinto priests was
forbidden, so locals carried on the tradition in their place.
This form of local kagura is performed at shrine festivals
for the regional deity that protects the land.

Distinguishing Features of Izumo Kagura
This ritual dance is performed to purify the kagura site, with the performer carrying a
torimono (prop) while remaining unmasked. Various props are carried while the dance isperformed without wearing any masks. The name shichiza is said to derive from the seven
performance steps that comprise it, but these steps vary by region.

Shichiza

Shihoken
Shiokiyome(Salt Purification)

YaotomeSalt—signifying cleanliness—is used
to purify the site and the attendees.

Within the city of Izumo, this dance isperformed by four girls.

Shikisanba

ShinnoIn the first stage, four dancers hold bells and hei (staffs withpaper streamers), followed by swords in the second stage ofthe dance. This performance purifies the kagura site.

Kanjo/ Norito / Kamioroshi
Within the city of Izumo, after reciting the norito (aShinto ritual prayer) and reading out the sanjubanshin(30 deity gods), a canopy called a “tengai” is shaken up
and down to invite the gods.

This ritual Noh celebratory
music has been incorporated into
kagura. While it is comprised ofthree parts: okina, chitose, andsanbaso, the sanbaso has gained
particular popularity as a dance
performed by children.

As a dance that is mainly based on the myths and shrine histories documented in the
Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, there are numerous performances such as Kuniyuzuri, Yamata-no-Orochi, and Hinomisaki, which are set in the Izumo region.

An Introduction of the Izumo Kagura Performances
Here we will introduce several of Izumo Kagura’s most well-known performances. (The performance
name, appearing characters, and story details differ slightly depending on the group and performance.)

The keyword is Sakaki ! Yama-no-kami(sacred green leaves)(God of the Mountains)

Yama-no-kami is the kagura rooted in the myth of
Ama-no-Iwato (the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave).
Legend has it that the sun goddess Amaterasu shutherself in Ama-no-Iwato, leading to darkness on earthand countless t r ibulations. Suffer ing, all the gods
came together and decided to perform the kagura to
get Amaterasu to come out. Kasuga Daimyojin decided
to take the sakaki tree required for the kagura, andimpersonating Shibaso, went to Ame-no-Kaguyama andtook it back home without permission.
Discovering the missing sakaki tree, the mountaingod, Oyamazumi-no-Mikoto pursued the man withthe sakaki, finally catching him after many repeatedescapes.
But when Oyamazumi-no-Mikoto discovered that theman who was caught was noneother than Kasuga Daimyojin, heknelt down and gave him the tree.
In return, Kasuga Daimyojin gave
Oyamazumi-no-Mikoto a sword
to quell the evils of the world.

Kuniyuzuri Shinwa

Kohjin(The Land Restoration Myth) (Powerful Deities)

ou t
Ge t he r to co m e raby performing kagu
Sakaki !
Shut he r s el f
inside the rock
cave

Id

on
’t w
a
thi nts!

All the suffering godsGivesa ka kiback!

Actually
an agent of
Amaterasu!
Chase

Kohjin is the kagura based on the Kuniyuzuri Shinwa (Land
Restoration Myth) of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, also referred
to as kuniyuzuri.

We’ve come down from heaven to restore the land.

Who is stronger?

This kagura connects shichiza and shinno.
We can see how the sakaki is used in Shinto
rituals and kagura.

We agreeto restore
the land.

Dispatched from the heavens of Takamagahara,t h e t w o g o d s , Ta k e m i k a z u c h i - n o - K a m i a n dFutsunushi-no-Kami plead with Okuninushi-noKami to restore the land. While Okuninushi-noKami and his son Kotoshironushi-no-Kami agreed,
the other rough tempered child Takeminakata-noKami violently confronted them. By the end of thebattle, Takeminakata-no-Kami had lost. Agreeing
to restore the land, peace descended upon the landsof Shinshu, Suwa Province (present day Nagano
Prefecture).
This fierce battle between the two messenger gods
and Takeminakata-no-Kami, who resisted restoring
the land, is a highlight of this kagura.

Final Showdown Between
Susano-no-Mikoto and Yamata-no-Orochi !!

Ya t oAs a punishment for violent acts, Susano-no-Mikoto
is banished from the heavens, Takamagahara. Upon
landing at the Hii River in Izumo Province, he encounters
a mourning old couple (Tenazuchi/Ashinazuchi) and
Princess Inada. Listening to their story, Susano-noMikoto learns that Yamata-no-Orochi devours one of
their eight daughters every year, and that Princess Inada
is now their last remaining daughter. With eight heads
on a single body, Yamata-no-Orochi is a terrible monster
long enough to occupy eight valleys and mountains.
Susano-no-Mikoto promises to destroy the giant
serpent on the condition that Princess Inada marry him.
Using poisoned sake (rice wine), he defeats the inebriatedmonster with his sword. The sword discovered in thedefeated giant serpent’s tail, none other than Ame-noMurakumo-no-Tsuguri,
is known as Kusanagino-Tsurugi, one of thethree sacred treasures
which have been passed
down to the present day.

A famed Seii-Taishogun appears!

Meeting
on theOmi Road

I will help you defeat
the demon!

Protecting the Holy Place
Where the Sun Sets!

Alright.

Subsequently
marry
Rescues

Destroys

TamuraOu rdaughterwill beeaten...

Parents anda child

Tamura is the kagura known for the
fascinating movements of the villagers.

Hearing that a demon is wreaking havoc in the mountains of
Suzuka in Ise Province (present day Mie Prefecture), the emperorof the time orders shogun Sakanoue Tamuramaro to defeat it. The
shogun goes to Ise Province and hears about what is happening in
the mountains from the local villagers. They tell him that they will
provide guidance along the mountain paths on the condition that
he defeats the demon. Upon entering the mountains, the demon
appears, and after exchanging
their names and going backand forth with their blades,
the demon is defeated, and the
shogun emerges, dancing with
its head in hand.

Hinomisaki

Legend says that the large army, Juragun,
led by the malevolent god Hikoharu which
has attacked from Tenjiku (present day India)
was defeated by the skilled archer, Hinomisaki
Daimyojin, who was able to protect the landsof Izumo.

Yato is a well-known kagura based on themyth of the defeat of Yamata-no-Orochi (aneight-headed serpent monster).

Hinomisaki is often performed last during
yokagura (night kagura) and is also known as
Yoake-no-Hikoharu.

RepelledAtta
ck

is i neffec
tive...

Music, Props, and Costumes
Music, lavish costumes, and masks are essential to kagura.

Music

Izumo Kagura uses a variety of instruments including a large drum known as a doh, shimedaiko (small drums), f lutes,
Cymbals, and a variety of large and small hand drums. Shichiza uses the doh, shimedaiko, flutes, Cymbals, while shikisanba
uses a large and small hand drums instead of the doh. In addition, kagura-noh most often uses shimedaiko, flutes, and Cymbals,with a doh added depending on the performance. The influence of Noh can be seen through the use of large and small handdrums.

Doh (Large drum)

Torimono (Props)Hei(staffs with paper streamers)

Shimedaiko (Small drum)

Flute

Cymbals

The props carried by hand vary depending on the performance.

Sword

Bow

Fan

Sakaki(Sacred green leaves)

Bell

Fishing Rod

Costume

Masks

These are called kaguramen. Masks are worn to transform into
the gods and demons appearing in the stor y, allowing theaudience to enjoy a more powerful performance. The masks
reveal the characteristics of the region. In Izumo Kagura, they arecarved from wood. On the other hand, in Iwami Kagura, which is
performed in the western part of Shimane Prefecture (the Iwami
region), masks are made from sekishu washi paper.

The Various Forms of Yamata-no-Orochi
Set in the Izumo region, the story of the Defeat of Yamata-no-Orochi is known as one of the mostfamed Izumo Kagura performances. Incidentally, Yamata-no-Orochi appears in various forms inIzumo Kagura. In the city of Izumo, the “lizard serpent,” with two legs and a tail is most common,
while in the town of Iishi, a makuja serpent moves in a way similar to the lion dance. Further, with
Sada Shinno in the city of Matsue, the figure appears in a unique “standing serpent” stance. The
mask used for the giant serpent in Sada Shinno is drawn with 16 eyes to represent its eight heads.

Toka ge ja(Lizard Snake)

Tsuzumi (Hand drum)A c r o w n o r e b o s h i (n o b l e
headdress) is worn on the head.
The princess wears a crown. In
addition, they often wear red wigs
called shaguma underneath, andfasten headbands on occasion.
The costume consists of a chihaya(type of coat) on the upper body,a nd a sa shibak ama or ok uchi
st yle hakama (for mal divided
sk i r t) on t he lower body. T hecostume is made from gold fabric.

Makuja (Makuja Ser pent)Okuiishi Shinshoku Kagura

Tachi Orochi (Large Standing

Serpent)

Toka ge ja(Lizard Snake)
Sada Shinno

Chochin Jado (lantern snake bod

Ohara Shinshoku Kagura

Karakawa Kagura

Akatsuka Kaguray)Kagura Mask Making Process
How are the kagura masks typical of Izumo Kagura made ? Let’s take a look at the kagura mask production process for
Oyamazumi-no-mikoto, who appears in the performance “Yama-no-Kami” (the Mountain God).
〈 Interview with Mr. Shigeru Sugitani (sculptor at Sugitani Workshop) 〉

Step 1 : Preparing a wood material

Step 2 : Rough Carving

The masks in Izumo Kagura are made from wood. Paulownia
trees are generally selected due to the large size of the masks.
Paulownia is light and has almost no sap (which cause stains),
making it a suitable wood for kagura masks, which are used forlong periods of time.
First, the prepared paulownia wood is cut into the outline of the
kagura mask. For the masks of Yama-no-Kami (the MountainGod), t he t h ick ne ss of t he wood mu st be also a dequ at ely
considered, since it has pronounced, three dimensional contours.

The rough carving process is the most important step in making
the kagura mask. To say it is the deciding factor in the mask would
not be an overstatement. The eyes, nose, and mouth are clearlydelineated in a single carving process. The expression of the cheeka nd brow re qu i re a sk i l l t h at ca n on ly be a ch ieve d by a nexperienced sculptor.
Using over 20 chisels and carving knives, bold cuts are madewith the chisels, while small cuts are made using the carving
knives. This determines the skeletal form of the kagura mask.

Step 3 : Finishing

Step 4 : Coloring

The entire shape is formed through slow and careful carving
using carving knives and small blades to shape the surface of theroughly cut kagura mask. Then, holes for the eyes, mouth, andnose are made.
Lastly, sandpaper is used to create a smooth finish along thesurface. In the past, the dried horsetail plant was used to finish thesurface.
Once the surface isfinished, the eyes andmouth are fitted withbrass ornamentation.

A mixture of whitewash *1 and glue solution *2 is applied as a basecoating.
Then, the color is applied. For the masks of Yama-no-Kami (theMountain God), mainly three colors: black, red, and light brown areused. Ink is used for black, while iron oxide *3 is used for red, andnatural mineral pigments *4 are used for the light brown. On occasion,colors created from black tea are used instead of natural mineralpigments. Mixtures of various glue solutions are used to paint the
spaces between the beards or the wrinkles, creating a fine gradation.

Step 5: Planting Hair

Completion*1 White pigment created by baking
seashell powder*2 Glue obtained by animal skins
boiled in water, dried, and hardened
to be dissolved in a water-based
solution*3 Red pigment mainly comprised ofiron oxide*4 Pigment made from crushed ore

For the beard and eyebrows, long, durable horse tail hair is used.
Holes are created with a gimlet or
drill, and the hair is planted andsecured. The work is perfor med
wh i le a dju st i ng t he le ng t h a ndvolume of the hair for each position.
Horsehair is used not only for
kagura masks, but for shaguma wigs
as well.

〜 Passion for making Kagura masks 〜 by Mr. Shigeru Sugitani
I was raised watching Izumo Kagura. It has always been a part of my life.
Today, we have electronic tools and many other convenient tools. Compared to the old days, it is much easier tocarve the masks from wood. But even without these modern conveniences, our ancestors were able to make many
very incredible kagura masks.
Generally, things degrade over time. But the kagura masks made by our ancestors only get gradually better withage and use. It is strange.
I too am striving to use natural materials as much as possible in order to get gradually closer to creating
amazing kagura masks that get better with age. It is a lifelong learning process, I think.

Q&A : Further Enjoying Izumo Kagura
Can anyone enjoy kagura, regardless of their religion ?
Yes. While it is originally a religious performance, anyone is free to come and watch it.

Where can I watch kagura ?
You can see kagura at festivals at local shrine, events, and recitals.
For seeing multiple kagura groups together in one place, the Izumo City Intangible Cultural Property Liaison
Council holds a Recital of Izumi City Intangible Cultural Properties every autumn. Performance schedules for therecital and various group performances are published on the Izumo City homepage.

Approximately how long is the performance? Can I leave my seat during the performance?
Most performances are between 30-45 minutes. For shows held at halls and other venues, a single group will
typically stage one or two performances. It is recommendable to leave your seat between performances, if possible.

How can I learn more about kagura ?
You can learn more about kagura by reading the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, which are believed to be the oldest
historical books on Japan. Or consider first familiarizing yourself with it through manga.

Who can perform kagura ? Are qualifications necessary ?
Regional kagura is performed by regular locals. They work to preserve and pass down the dances in order toprotect their local traditions. Depending on the group, children can also perform kagura. In this way, children areable to naturally learn about Japanese mythology.

Organizers

Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Arts Council

Inquiries

Cultural Property Division, Department of Civic Culture, Izumo City
2760 Otsu-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane Prefecture 693-0011 (Located within Izumo Yayoinomori Museum)Tel.: 0853-21-6893【 Bibliography 】

Takatoshi Ishizuka, “Izumo Kagura” (Izumo City Board of Education, 2001)
Shimane Prefectural Museum of Ancient Izumo History, “Shimane Kagura -Traditional Entertainment and Festivals- (Japan Photo
Publishing 2010)
Izumo City Intangible Cultural Property Liaison Council, “50 Years of the Izumo City Intangible Cultural Property Liaison
Council” (2016)【 Photo Credits 】

Ichimori Shrine Kagura Retainers Association / Odochi Kagura Preservation Society Kagurakata / Akatsuka Kagura Shagiri
Preservation Society / Sotozono Kagura Preservation Society / Unate Kagura Preservation Society / Mimiku Kagura Retainers
Association / Agu Shinnou Presrvation Society / Karakawa Autonomous Society for Karakawa Kagura / Sada Shinno Retainers
Association / Ohara Shinshoku Kagura Preservation Society / Okuiishi Shinshoku Kagura Retainers Association / Shimane
Ancient Cultural Center / Michi Kashima【 Support Provided By 】 Shigeru Sugitani, Yuuki Sugitani, Hiroo Fujihara, Izumo City Intangible Cultural Property Liaison Council

Joint Project Sponsored by the 2020 Japan Expo

Created 2021