The Myths, Legends, and Rituals of the Takachiho Night Kagura

Kagura refers to music or dance offered to the gods in Japanese mythology. The mythology is written in “Kojiki (712)”, the oldest history book of Japan; and “Nihon shoki (720)”, in its first chapter. Kagura dances are divided into two categories: mikagura, performed at the Imperial court, and satokagura, performed at local shrines and private residences. Both of these are said to have been derived from a yearly Shinto ritual known as kamiasobi, songs and dances performed to invoke the gods, pray for an abundant harvest, and enjoy the evening ritual. Satokagura dances, passed down locally all across Japan, deeply display the culture of the area, and these dances are distinctive in that they have been passed down by ordinary people. Takachiho has a history of being the stage for many myths and legends, including the legend of the descent of Amaterasu's (Shinto goddess of the sun and universe) grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto from heaven, and the town itself is revered as a place still visited by the gods of legend.

“Shoke-mori is a type of food eaten here during the Yokagura dances since ancient times. It’s a feast of the bounties of nature harvested here.”  It seems that “shoke” refers to a bamboo basket. So shoke-mori is a generous serving of a variety of foods served in a large bamboo basket. This can include inari sushi (rice wrapped inside fried tofu), sushi with fish, and onishime, a boiled dish of shiitake mushrooms, pieces of deep fried tofu, bamboo shoots, carrots, konjac, and more. Each of these foods gives you a sense of the rich bounty of nature.

As Kagura would take place overnight, a night meal would be served in between. It is said that “Kagura nishime (vegetables stewed in soy sauce)” is the most popular dish that is served. “From long ago, meals would be cooked by men during the day of Kagura. We are not sure why. Nowadays, most of it is cooked by women”.

Once the chicken has been cooked through, the bamboo pipe begins to simmer, and a wonderful aroma begins to waft out. The kappo-dori is ready when you begin to see steam escaping. The bamboo adds to the flavor and the taste leaves me speechless. After eating the kappo-dori, the remaining juice is added to cooked rice to create a delicious rice soup. 

Bamboos are also used for “Kappo-sake”. Inside this, shochu or Japanese sake would either be served. Both are common, but it seems that shochu is more popular around this area. How to make is very simple: serve sake in a bamboo pipe cut for this purpose, and heat it over a hearth or bonfire. The bamboo’s extract would blend with shochu as the bamboo gets heated, enhancing its flavor and fragrance. The drink is ready when it starts steaming. When serving the sake into a sake cup also made of bamboo, you will hear a delicious sound “kapokapokapo”. This tasteful sound is said to be the origin of the name “Kappo-sake”.

At night in Takachiho-cho, the sky becomes full of stars in the still atmosphere. When it gets dark in the quiet village, the profound sound of drums and flutes echoes through subtly. Hoping to share the culture of night Kagura with as many people as possible, a part of Kagura is performed every day of the year in the Kagura-den Hall of Takachiho Shrine. The road leading to the main shrine is lighted up with torches; the dazzling fire has a very magical look. The shrine is surrounded by old trees, having a solemn atmosphere.

A total of 33 Kagura numbers are dedicated overnight in “Takachiho Night Kagura”. Let us introduce some of them here. In this dance, Tajikarao (a god from Japanese mythology) tries to find Amanoiwato, the place where the Sun Goddess Amaterasuomikami hid, plunging the world into darkness. He is holding a bell with one hand, and with the other an Iwato-nusa (a staff with plaited red and white paper streamers and crown on top). The crown is said to resemble heaven and water, and earth and soil.

This heroic and powerful dance illustrates when Tajikarao opens the stone doors of the cave and invites Amaterasuomikami out. Although this is another dance by Tajikarao, the mask he is wearing is red; it resembles his blushing face, as he opens the stone doors with all his might. The one dancing energetically this day was a 15-year-old boy, who is from the Futagami Shrine area. While successors of the dance are decreasing, the tradition is also being passed down to a new generation.

Takachiho Night Kagura conveys the “fun of playing around with gods” to people today, and despite it being simple and primitive, it is very dramatic. The annual night Kagura held in each village, never fails to impress even the locals.