The 3rd Folk Performing Arts Now!

“Bond” Formedby Folk Performing Arts
in TOHOKU– 10 years since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and toward the future –This year marks the 10th year since the Great East Japan Earthquake
inflicted catastrophic damage on Northeast Japan, or the Tohoku region.
JA Tourism & Communications will hold “The 3rd Folk Performing Arts
Now! in Tohoku: “Bond” formed by folk performing arts –10 years since
the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and toward the future” on December
11, 2021 at Ishinomaki City Cultural Complex MARUHON MAKIAR TTERRACE in cooperation with tateito-yokoito llc., which works on handing
down the culture of the Tohoku region and spreading its appeal. Threeorganizations, which have engaged in inheriting the folk per forming
arts handed down in the region ceaselessly for centuries although theirimportant tools were swept away by the tsunami, will be on stage showing
the traditional art and dances.

Performance Schedule■ 13：00

Opening■ 13：00～ Address from the organizer■ 13：05～ Addresses from guests■ 13：10～ Part 1

Introduction of municipalities by threepreservation groups, folk performance arts
Kamaishi-shi, Iwate Prefecture:

Unosumai Toramai
Namie-machi, Futaba-gun, Fukushima Prefecture:

Ukedo no Taue Odori

Ogatsu-cho, Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi Prefecture:

Ogatsu Date no Kurofune Daiko■ 15：10～ Intermission■ 15：20～ Part 2

Panel Discussion“Bond” formed by folk performing arts
—10 years since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and toward the future—■ 16：00～ Closing
Rice planting dance

Unosumai Toramai [ Tiger dance in the Unosumai district ]2

Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture“Toramai” is a folk performing art inherited in Kamaishi City, Iwate
Prefecture, since the middle Edo Period（18th century）. At that time,
fishermen who went out to sea often could not get back home due tostormy weather, and their families’ deepest wish was their safe returnto the port. People in the region started to perform a dance as prayer
for fishermen’s safety with tiger costumes on according to a proverb,“A tiger will walk a thousand leagues and a thousand leagues backfor its cub,” and this is believed to be how Toramai spread among thefishermen along the coast.
Of the Toramai dances per formed by 14 organizations based in
Kamaishi City, “Unosumai Toramai” is called “Mesutora” (a tigress)
because it is danced by imitating tigers’ slow and elegant movements.
The tools stored were all swept away when the earthquake took place;

however, the drums and the tiger head, which have been handed
down from generation to generation in the Unosumai district, weremiraculously discovered. The tiger head found then is now enshrinedin a household Shinto altar, giving the members of the preservationsociety mental support. Mr. Masato Obara, who is the representative of
the Unosumai Young Men’s Association, said, “At last, we can perform‘Kado-buchi’ in which we go door to door in our neighborhood anddo the Toramai dance, as we did before the earthquake hit. The issue
facing us is how we raise successors. We would like to help children
understand the significance of the dance and find fun in the festival
through practice.”

A tiger dance goes down the street

Sasabami, in which a tiger bites bamboo leaves in order to sharpen its fangs*The group voluntarily refrains from the Kado-buchi event this year in order to prevent thespread of Covid-19.

Ukedo no Taue Odori [ Rice planting dance in the Ukedo district ]Namie Town, Futaba County, Fukushima Prefecture

Ukedo no Taue Odori, which has been inherited since the late Edo
Period（19th centur y）, is a dance dedicated to the god of Kusano
Shrine during the annual festival, Amba Matsuri. Long ago, the people
in the district of Ukedo gathered at the shrine for dedicating a rice
planting dance to the god and praying for the productiveness of grainin the wake of a poor crop that they once had, and this dedication
resulted in a bountiful har vest that year. Since then, the dance has
been passed on from generation to generation.
The residents of the Ukedo district in the town of Namie, Fukushima
Prefecture were scattered all over Japan due to the devastating damage
by the tsunami and the nuclear accident. Although the evacuation
order was lifted on March 31, 2017 in the prefecture except for some
districts, many people are still forced to live as evacuees.
The Ukedo Folk Performing Arts Preser vation Association taught

dances to 4th to 6th grade students of Ukedo Elementar y School
before the earthquake occurred. Ten years have passed since theGreat East Japan Earthquake. Children in the district usually detachthemselves from the rice planting dance as they grow up. Today, theAssociation invites siblings of the children who do the dance to theactivities and inherit the dance culture in a wide age group from 2-yearold children right up to adults. While experiencing difficulty in getting
together for practice due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms. Shigeko
Sasaki of the preservation association spoke of the group’s aspirations
toward the future, saying that their rice planting dance has one of themost sophisticated choreographies in the hand dances inherited inFukushima Prefecture, and they would like to make continuing efforts
to live up to the reputation.

A dance dedicated to the god of Kusano Shrine after the earthquake

Kusano Shrine before the earthquake

Ogatsu Date no Kurofune Daiko [ Date’s black ship drum in Ogatsu Town ]“Ogatsu Date no Kurofune Daiko” was started in 1991 as one of theprojects commemorating the 50th anniversary of the foundation of thetown of Ogatsu, Monou County, Miyagi Prefecture.
“Date no Kurofune,” or Date’s black ship, is said to be a ship named
San Juan Bautista that departed from Kuretsubo in the town of Ogatsu(present Ishinomaki City) carrying a Japanese envoy to Europe about
400 years ago in the Keicho era（17th centur y）(there are manyopinions in this regard). With Japanese drums, the group’s signature
piece: “Date no Kurofune” depicts the voyage of the Keicho envoy
sent to Europe under orders from the feudal lord Date Masamune, thefounder of the Sendai Clan.
The members of the preservation association were invited to an event
titled Anjinsai Taiko Kassen (Anjinsai festival drum battle) held in ItoCity, Shizuoka Prefecture, when they felt uncertain as to how theywould be engaged in their activities after they lost their homes dueto the earthquake and were unable to find places to practice or store
their drums. Mr. Yukihiko Yotsukura, a member of the preservation
association of Ogatsu Date no Kurofune Daiko, looked back on thattime, saying that the experience of performing in the Anjinsai festival

Ogatsu Town, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecturewith nothing but the clothes on their back and their profound gratitude
to the support from a lot of people motivated them to get back to theirassociation’s activities.
The association aims to serve as an organization that creates a bond
between the town of Ogatsu and people leaving the town throughproactive involvement with people and festivals in Ogatsu, such as
joint activities with the town’s Shishimai (lion dance) preser vation
association and provision of instructions about the art at Ogatsu JuniorHigh School.

The Japanese drums performance

NoteFolk Performing Arts Now! is aimed at helping revitalize rural areas, in the true sense of theword, by spreading the value and appeal of folk performing arts handed down in such places
as farming, mountain, and fishing villages so that as many people as possible can recognize
them as regional resources or national treasures. We strive to give a sense of security and safety
to both the performers and the audience at the performance event scheduled for Saturday,
December 11 by adhering to the guidelines on preventive measures against Covid-19.
An archive of the event will be available on the Internet in late January of 2022.
A mind-blowing performance that amazed the audience in Ogatsu Taiko Matsuri (drum festival)

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