Festivals Calendar
- Oki Kagura
- Okinoshima Town
(Dōgo) - Ama Town
(Nakanoshima) - Nishinoshima Town
(Nishinoshima) - Chibu Village
(Chiburijima)
Kagura, is a form of Shinto dance. The dances are performed with masks and are practiced around Shimane Prefecture, with the theatrical Iwami Kagura being the most well-known. In contrast to Iwami Kagura, Oki Kagura is old-fashioned and rustic. It was formerly practiced exclusively by professionals called sha-ke who inherited the right to perform. Today the tradition is preserved by local people. In Oki, Kagura is performed as an offering to Shinto Shrines and to pray for good harvests, good catch, rain, to drive off disease, marine safety and so on. For this reason, miko, or Shrine priestesses, play an important role. Oki Kagura is generally divided into two groups, Oki Dōzen Kagura and Oki Dōgo Kagura, which tell different stories and have different styles. Oki Dōzen Kagura is fast and energetic, and the performance takes place in the center of four tatami-mat-sized stage or upon a boat. On the other hand, Oki Dōgo Kagura is divided into two main styles, Suki and Ochi, and the performance takes place to slow traditional music and upon a very small stage.