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