Komiyaji Mushi-oi Odori (Dance to Drive Insects Away)

Active

Category Name:Furyu (Furyu Style Dance)

"Mushi-oi Odori" is held to pray for a good harvest. It is a ritual in which men and women in flamboyant costumes dance while striking bells, playing flutes, drums, and blowing conch shells. In the Komiyaji district, the Mushi-oi Odori ritual is held from early in the morning with a crane on a stick in front of the monument to Morishita Kyubei. Morishita Kyubei built the Oosugi reservoir for the paddy fields in the Komiyaji area, which had been suffering from a shortage of water. After the ritual, the dance is performed at Nagata's house, which used to be a Buddhist preaching place called "Gyoza," to chase away insect pests to the sea. It is comprised of 10 bamboo dancers, 1 drum, 10 drum dancers, 5 flutes, 1 kane, and 2 drummers.

Municipality

Amakusa City

Category

Furyu (Furyu Style Dance)

Specific Location

Komiyaji, Shinwa-machi

Cultural Property Designation

Performance Date(s)

late April

Performance Location

Komiyaji District

Preservation Society

Komiyaji Mushi-oi Odori Preservation Society