This article is totally not about Japanese religious events but about the creation of new rituals. This year I got the luck to teach a...

The tonkori is a string instrument of Ainu. Here, you can listen to the performance of Shirakawa Yaeko, an Ainu woman playing a piece...

So many traditional customs had been still practiced in my childhood. My grandmother knew the meanings of plants, and people had minded...

A book entitled Tensai kara Nihonshi wo Yominaosu, Rereading Japanese history through natural disasters, written by Dr. Isoda Michifumi,...

The Lion dance is one of popular performing arts in westside of Yamanashi prefecture. In this post, I will introduce musical instruments...

Every first Saturday of August, the festival named Kagaribi matsuri is held in Otsuki city in Yamanashi. This festival is an event held...

The Ainu is one of the minorities of Japan, living in the northern part of Japan. Now they are principally living in Hokkaido, but also...

The mukkuri is a jew harp, which is a traditional Ainu musical instrument. It is generally practiced by females. It is made of bamboo,...

In 2018, I got an occasion to visit Dondo-yaki festival at small village in Yamanashi prefecture. There are series of New Year's rites...

Here, a picture of Ise Daidai-kagura no zu , picture of Daidai-kagura being the possession of Ise-jingū shrine. This picture is from the...

This image is from site of Nespaper Yamanashi Nichinichi shinbun. The Amor nicknamed Tate nashi no yoroi, litteraly amor "no need a...

Buddhist monk and also band player, Eishin Watanabe plays Bub Marley's Three Little Birds with Buddhist instruments (and guitar). I found...

Kōwakamai is a genre of medieval theatre (danse). Although it is less known, the text "jinkan gojūnen geten no uchi wo kurabureba" is...

This article is only for my notice. I'm afraid that this article is totally for personal remark. But I've never read that someone relate...

Ikutama matsuri is one of three biggest summer festival in Osaka. It is annual summer festival of Ikukunitama jinja shrine and is held...

Today I found a news that an individual in Shenzhen, China filed registration of trademark of the word "Ainu" to Japan's Patent office....

My hometown is very small with less 1000 inhabitants. The town is divided in 6 areas. Two of them, including the one where my family is...

I found this by chance while looking for Historia de Iapam. This is Arte da Lingoa de Iapam, Japanese-Portuguese dictionary edited by...

Amabie is merman-like creature with three legs. It is one of yokai, popularised supernatural spirits in Japanese folklore. Its oldest...

I've been working for Sugisawa Hiyama, one of Bangaku (kagura) in Yamagata, North-West Japan. Its most mysterious piece among its...