ARTIST
Shirogane Shito Gongen Kagura Preservation Society
The Shirogane Shito Gongen Kagura has been inherited in Shirogane community in Hachinohe city. It falls in the category of yamabushi (mountain hermit) kagura which performs ritualistic or theatrical pieces according to contexts such as prayer for safety of family, bountiful crop or rich haul, exorcism, and service for the dead, visiting temples, shrines and houses with shishigashira worshipped as gongen-sama. Their current repertory consists of 18 items. In Hachinohe, they are the only group that maintains the female dance, meanwhile their theatrical pair dance is only shared by the Same Kagura. The Shirogane Shito Gongen Kagura, typically in Hachinohe, can be considered as a part of the same lineage of kagura in the northern part of Iwate prefecture, regarding the performance structure and rhythm. Despite its similarity with the Same Kagura, many gestures are found specific to this dance.