The first performance was by the creative taiko drumming team Ono Naruikazuchi Taiko, which immediately drew in the audience with their powerful performance. The group was made up of young people who took a course in creative taiko drumming in 2000 and has now grown to 28 members ranging in age from 5 to 46. The name Naruikazuchi comes from the Naruikazuchi Shrine in Ono, Hirono Town (formerly Ono Village), and represents their wish to become a taiko drumming group that represents the region and is loved by the villagers. The group received composition and performance lessons from the theater company Warabi-za from Akita Prefecture and put on strong, clear and passionate performances. Frustrated from not being able to practice much due to the coronavirus, the performers expressed their excitement to perform on stage, saying “When COVID-19 settles down, we want to perform with everyone here again.” Their drumming was infused with their determination and shook the audience.

The second performance was the Onikenbai(Demon Sword Dance) by the Onikenbai Club from Kitakami Shonan High School. This is a highly skilled team that has won one Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award, and three times won the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award at the All Japan High School Cultural Festival. The dignified appearance of the members, who wore red and black masks of gods with demon-like expressions, changed the atmosphere on stage even before the dance began. When they started dancing, shaking their heads with swords in their hands, they conveyed the fearsomeness and strength of demons, and a strong presence connecting with the earth. The way they lifted their feet and stomped the ground was also impressive. This dance movement is said to drive away evil spirits from the earth and pray for peace and a rich harvest. Onikenbai is a traditional folk performing arts handed down to farmers in the Kitakami region of Iwate Prefecture since its beginning about 1300 years ago. The club receives instructions from the Iwasaki Onikenbai, a Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Japan. One of the third-year students said, “When we wear masks, we can’t breathe well because there is no hole in the mouth and only small ones in the nose and eyes, and the field of vision is narrow.” Yet they performed a powerful dance that didn’t show any of the difficulty. When this group of mostly female students took off the demon masks at the end, we saw the innocent faces of high school students peeking out from underneath.

After an intermission, the latter half of the program began with the Kadonohama Komaodori. This dance has been actively taught and passed down at local elementary and junior high schools in Hirono Town, and this time, elementary school students performed. It is said that the Komaodori depicts scenes of battles during the Sengoku (Warring States) period and soothed the spirits of horses, which were important to people for battle and agriculture. The costume is tied around the waist with a decoration called koma, a wooden horse head and tail, making it look like the dancer is riding a horse. Watching the children dance, you can imagine the start of a battle on horseback, which must have been a familiar sight in the period.

The next program was the Nakano Nanazumai, performed by the Iwaizumi High School Folk Performing Arts Club, with many members who also belong to various other clubs in the school. Since its establishment in 1990, this skillful club has had many achievements including participation in nine national competitions, three appearances at the National Theater, and a performance in Paris. They performed a dance based on the Shittogijishi Mai of the Kuromori Kagura, a traditional dance passed down in Miyako-city of Iwate Prefecture. It was named Nanazumai (Seven-heads Dance)for the dancers who form seven different groups performing seven different kinds of dance. The performance was enjoyable to watch, with different dances for each hand-held prop, including an intense dance, a light-hearted dance and a comical dance. One of the student dancers said, “When dancing Nanazumai, we pause sharply when we need to and are aware of when we’re supposed to be smooth. It makes us really happy to see people smile or feel moved.” Those words gave us the impression that they are passionate about dancing and want to continue, while balancing their studies and other club activities.

Last but not least was Nanyadoyara by Nakano Fuji no Kai, a familiar performance for the audience members from Hirono Town. Nanyadoyara is a Bondance widely practiced in Iwate, Aomori and Akita Prefectures, and is said to be the oldest of its kind in Japan. Each village has a distinctive Bon dance, and there are reportedly hundreds of variations. Nakano Fuji no Kai formed in 2014 to pass the Nanyadoyara down to the next generation, as this dance has been beloved in the Nakano area of Hirono Town for a long time. The group also engages in activities to enhance the appeal of Hirono Town.