Kaminagahime (Princess of Long Tresses):
An Asian tale for the bamboo flute
This project started with an encounter between folk performing arts groups of the Sanriku region and other parts of Asia. They created a collaborative production using the Sanriku folk tale, Kaminagahime, for thematic inspiration, and present a portion of the showcase streaming online. The performance will feature groups from Indonesia, Cambodia, and Sanriku. The project launched in late May of this year, when the groups shared ideas and melodies to create this collaborative production. We hope our initiative will convey the charm of various performing arts cultivated over a long history, passing them on to future generations.

-a story based on a folk tale of the Sanriku coast-
Kaminagahime -a story based on a folk tale of the Sanriku coast-
A woman at the beach had been carried off by a big wave, but returned to the village 10 years later bearing a child of a dragon god. When the daughter was born, she had such long hair that it touched the ground and so she was named Kaminagahime (Princess of Long Tresses). Whenever Kaminagahime danced, gold was found in the mountains, the sea provided great catches of fish, and the village became prosperous. However, a man of power in the village began to take over the wealth, and Kaminagahime hid herself in a shrine by the sea. The sea became rough, and monsters from the sky began to attack the village, with plague and hunger spreading throughout. The distressed villagers then danced for three days and three nights in front of the shrine, and the greedy man had a change of heart and joined in the dancing. Kaminagahime eventually emerged from the shrine and said, “Do not divide yourselves and keep the festival going.” And indeed the village regained its prosperity, and the people came together as one.