The enburi inherited in the Hachinohe area, is a rice-planting dance to pray for the abundance of harvest for that year, and is said to be handed down since about 800 years ago.
It is nationally designated as an important intangible folk cultural property as “Hachinohe no Enburi”.
On February 17th of every year, about 40 groups make their dedication to the Chojasan Shinra Shrine, Hachinohe City, and then go door-to-door in the city shopping district and suburban rural areas.
Each group usually consists of around 20 to 30 people. The performer wearing the large eboshi (noble’s headwear), uses a stick called jangi to dance and express rice farming, with other blessing dances such as “Matsu No Mai” and “Daikoku Mai” inserted in the middle.
It has been 85 years since the Uchimaru Enburi group was founded, and as one of the control groups, they play a role in correcting the order and clothing for each group.
They are composed of a wide age group ranging from 3 to 75 year olds, passing down the dance in many generations.
Having a deep understanding of the importance of traditional culture through enburi, they work their best every day through a strong sense of community that values the connection within one another and family-like warmth that tends to be lost in many areas.