Calendar Events to Be Enjoyed in November 2011
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Etiquette Inside the Jingu Precinct How to Worship Kami Naiku Is The
Kodenchi (Site of the previous sanctuary) 古殿地 Main sanctuary A divine palace of Amaterasu-Omikami stands here. The Holy Mirror (a symbol of Amaterasu-Omikami) is enshrined inside the main sacred palace at the innermost courtyard of the main sanctuary and the main palace is enclosed with four rows of Naiku is the most venerable sanctuary in Japan. Here is a jinja (Shinto shrine) wooden fences. Pilgrims usually worship the enshrined kami in dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, the ancestral kami (Shinto deity) of the Imperial front of the gate of the third row of the fence. family. She was enshrined in Naiku about 2,000 years ago and has been revered as a guardian of Japan. Aramatsuri-no-miya There are 14 superior affiliated jinja which are revered next to the main sanctuaries of Naiku and Geku in Jingu. This jinja occupies the highest rank among them and is dedicated to a vigorous spirit of Geheiden Amaterasu-Omikami. (outer treasury) One of the auxiliary jinja of Naiku to store harvested rice for 外幣殿 offering to kami in rituals. An architectural style of this jinja is similar to that of the main palace of the main sanctuary but smaller in size. It is said that the style of jinja in Jingu derived from rice granary Jingu is a sanctuary to pray for public of ancient Japan. happiness. If someone have personal wish, he or she can dedicate a prayer by offering kagura (ceremonial music Kazahinomi-no-miya Rest house for Pilgrims. and dance) to kami of Jingu. Amulets Souvenirs and drink vending One of the superior affiliated jinja dedicated to a couple of Jingu can be obtained here. -
In Silent Homage to Amaterasu: Kagura Secret Songs at Ise Jingū and the Imperial Palace Shrine
In Silent Homage to Amaterasu: Kagura Secret Songs at Ise Jingū and the Imperial Palace Shrine in Modern and Pre-modern Japan Michiko Urita A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2017 Reading Committee: Patricia Shehan Campbell, Chair Jeffrey M. Perl Christina Sunardi Paul S. Atkins Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Music ii ©Copyright 2017 Michiko Urita iii University of Washington Abstract In Silent Homage to Amaterasu: Kagura Secret Songs at Ise Jingū and the Imperial Palace Shrine in Modern and Pre-modern Japan Michiko Urita Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Patricia Shehan Campbell Music This dissertation explores the essence and resilience of the most sacred and secret ritual music of the Japanese imperial court—kagura taikyoku and kagura hikyoku—by examining ways in which these two songs have survived since their formation in the twelfth century. Kagura taikyoku and kagura hikyoku together are the jewel of Shinto ceremonial vocal music of gagaku, the imperial court music and dances. Kagura secret songs are the emperor’s foremost prayer offering to the imperial ancestral deity, Amaterasu, and other Shinto deities for the well-being of the people and Japan. I aim to provide an understanding of reasons for the continued and uninterrupted performance of kagura secret songs, despite two major crises within Japan’s history. While foreign origin style of gagaku was interrupted during the Warring States period (1467-1615), the performance and transmission of kagura secret songs were protected and sustained. In the face of the second crisis during the Meiji period (1868-1912), which was marked by a threat of foreign invasion and the re-organization of governance, most secret repertoire of gagaku lost their secrecy or were threatened by changes to their traditional system of transmissions, but kagura secret songs survived and were sustained without losing their iv secrecy, sacredness, and silent performance. -
The Story of IZUMO KAGURA What Is Kagura? Distinguishing Features of Izumo Kagura
The Story of IZUMO KAGURA What is Kagura? Distinguishing Features of Izumo Kagura This ritual dance is performed to purify the kagura site, with the performer carrying a Since ancient times, people in Japan have believed torimono (prop) while remaining unmasked. Various props are carried while the dance is that gods inhabit everything in nature such as rocks and History of Izumo Kagura Shichiza performed without wearing any masks. The name shichiza is said to derive from the seven trees. Human beings embodied spirits that resonated The Shimane Prefecture is a region which boasts performance steps that comprise it, but these steps vary by region. and sympathized with nature, thus treasured its a flourishing, nationally renowned kagura scene, aesthetic beauty. with over 200 kagura groups currently active in the The word kagura is believed to refer to festive prefecture. Within Shimane Prefecture, the regions of rituals carried out at kamikura (the seats of gods), Izumo, Iwami, and Oki have their own unique style of and its meaning suggests a “place for calling out and kagura. calming of the gods.” The theory posits that the word Kagura of the Izumo region, known as Izumo kamikuragoto (activity for the seats of gods) was Kagura, is best characterized by three parts: shichiza, shortened to kankura, which subsequently became shikisanba, and shinno. kagura. Shihoken Salt—signifying cleanliness—is used In the first stage, four dancers hold bells and hei (staffs with Shiokiyome paper streamers), followed by swords in the second stage of Sada Shinno (a UNESCO Intangible Cultural (Salt Purification) to purify the site and the attendees. -
Examining Japan's Kagura Dance Form
International Journal of Cultural and Digital Tourism Volume 5, Spring 2018 Copyright © IACUDIT ISSN (Online): 2241-9705 ISSN (Print): 2241-973X Traditional Performing Arts as a Regional Resource: Examining Japan’s Kagura Dance Form Kenta Yamamoto 1* 1* Kokugakuin University, Japan Abstract This article focuses on Kagura, a traditional Japanese dance form mainly practiced in rural Japan. This article throws light on how each community in the peripheral regions of Japan views this dance form. By doing so, we also focus on how regional cultural resources contribute to regional sustainability in these areas. Regional cultural resources are often viewed as tourism resources—that is, they are used to boost tourism. However, some of the cases considered in this paper show that regional cultural resources can be used in other manners. In other words, these cases show that tourism is not the only way to sustain regional cultures. The findings presented in this article pertain to the broader question of how to properly implement a culture- based sustainable regional development plan. The findings and suggestions presented in this article can be applied to other contexts also. Keywords: tradition, the tourists’ gaze, Japan, rural areas, cultural resources, community JEL Classification: P25, R11 1. Introduction This article throws light on the ways in which Japan’s declining birth rate and growing elderly population impact the cultural resources of its peripheral regions. This article also focuses on the broader question of how to properly implement a culture-based sustainable regional development plan to develop regional resources and revitalize and preserve traditional communities. Following the Second World War, Japan experienced a steady wave of urbanization. -