Ayugaeri District Amagoi Odori (Rain Dance)

Active

Category Name:Furyu (Mortar Drum Dance)

Handed down to the Ayugaeri district in Sakamoto-machi, this is said to have started in the late Edo period. Known for its liveliness, haori-clad participants dance while playing drums, kane, and flutes and singing. Originally, it was danced both to pray for rain and also as dedication to Ujigami (local Shinto deity) and other prayers and celebrations, but gradually it began to be performed only during dry spells to pray for rain. Before WWII, dances continued nightly during prolonged drought. The festival was put on hiatus in 1942 but, due to calls from neighbourhood centers, was restarted in 1993.

Municipality

Yatsushiro City

Category

Furyu (Mortar Drum Dance)

Specific Location

Ayugaeri, Sakamoto-machi

Cultural Property Designation

City-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property March 29, 2002

Performance Date(s)

Performance Location

Preservation Society