■　Ticket information　■

　
*Free / Advance online reservation (15 people – first come first served)
Reception Hours: August 1 (Tu.), 2023 2:00PM – September 22 (Fri.), 2023 11:59PM
*1 reservation per person
Online reservation

24日■ Sanriku Nodamura Future Geinoh Festival ■

Nodamura Festival of Performing Arts – Connecting Traditions, the Future, and Youth Performers

The folk performing arts festival focuses on young performers who are responsible for the future of the Tohoku and Sanriku regions. This year, it will be held in Noda Village in Iwate Prefecture.
Noda Village is located in the northeastern coastal area of Iwate Prefecture. This village has the “salt road” where precious salt was carried on the backs of cattle (cows), and deployed throughout the region by crossing the harsh Kitakami mountains. Noda is also the home of traditions which state that “namomi” demons that the gods use fall from the mountains during the First Full Moon Festival. The area has a history of being hit by numerous natural disasters such as tsunamis and famine. Village ancestors never gave up in the face of these hardships, carving a path to the future by engraving messages on stone monuments and enjoying arts and events.
This festival of folk performing arts features a gathering of highly talented young performers in a future-oriented seaside outdoor park in Noda Village. These performers have expansive discussions about the arts which color the culture of each region.

These local performing arts are packed with the techniques, strength, and wisdom for life in these areas. Create a new future for the region with new performing arts at Noda Village, where you can find new techniques, strength, wisdom, and people.

Date｜September 24 (Sun.), 2023 1:00PM – 3:45PM (Reception Start 12:00PM Entrance Open 12:30PM)
Locate｜Tofugaura Park Multipurpose Event Plaza *In case of rain – Noda Village Gymnasium

Areas

• Noda Village

• Fudai Village

Artists

• Noda Village Namomi Preservation Committee

  “Namomi” was a local festival event in the village committee in the past, but it has been organized by the village preservation committee for over 30 years. Nowadays, it’s a traditional folk dance of “Koshogatu” (first full moon festival) commonly regarded as a kind of education to infant at Noda Village. In 2015, it has been staged at the National Theater.

• Noda Village Daikokumai Dance Society

  “Daikokumai” is a traditional dance to bring luck in. “It is a traditional dance of “Koshogatu” (first full moon festival) performed in 2022’s “Noda Festival” (the biggest event of Noda Village) and the 5th “Sanriku Coast Local Performing Arts Performance” in 2022 for the first time in three years.

• Unotori Kagura Preservation Society

  The Unotori Kagura is a typical yamabushi (mountain hermit) kagura. It worships shishigashira into which the spirit from Unotori Shrine in Torii, Fudai village entered. It tours villages to pray for a rich haul, a bountiful crop and safety of family from January to March every year. The tour proceeds in Iwate, northbound to Kuji city and southbound to Kamaishi city in alternating years. Local residents host the kagura intimately calling “Unotori sama.” Since this form of the tour is unique and it maintains rare customs, Unotori Kagura is designated as the Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the state in 2015.

• Tomoyuki Shibata

  Since 2000, he has been involved in a wide range of creative work, including paintings, ceramics, music production, concerts, physical expressions, and playwriting, direction, and performances.
  In 2019, in order to make strides in his creative career, he entered night school to obtain qualifications to become an occupational therapist, later passing the state examination to get his license.
  While gaining experience as an actor, artist, care worker, and nursery school teacher, he built a home and studio in the forests of Sapporo, and is working on his creative career in both welfare and creation.
  He stayed in Noda Village from January 9th to 16th 2023 as part of his work as artist-in-residence of the Sanriku International Arts Festival. He learned about the Daikokumai dance and the Namomi, and participated in the Koshogatsu ritual.
  Now he is making his triumphant return to Noda Village with his first performance of a work created based on his experiences residing in Noda.

• Iwate Prefectural Iwayado High School Shishiodori Dance Group

  This Shishiodori Dance Club was founded in 1997. We work hard to perform the Kanatsuryu (Kanatsu Style) Shishiodori dance, passed down throughout the region. As a sacred ritual, the shishiodori dance has been performed as a memorial service for ancestors and to pray for abundant harvests. It is an extremely difficult traditional art with 8 dancers who wear costumes that weigh as much as around 15kg, in which each dancer sings, plays the taiko drum, and dances. The Buddhist invocation song is another appealing point of the shishiodori.
  We faithfully preserve the folk performing arts passed down throughout the region, and we strive to pass them down to everyone from those before us to those who come after us. Last autumn, the 3rd year students retired from the club activity, and for a time we unfortunately only had 1 dancer. But we welcomed new club members in the spring, and now 9 dancers are working hard and passionately on the dance. They are still inexperienced, but they are working diligently to bring joy to the people of the region.

• “Noda Junior High School Taiko Group” Noda Junior High School

  Noda Junior High School is the only junior high in the village. Currently our 90 students spend their school days with the slogan “Becoming the sun of Noda Village” in mind. This slogan was born from the wish that previous students had at the time of the disaster, to become like suns shining brightly on Noda Village. Based on this slogan, we too work hard to further develop the traditions and culture that those before us created.
  Previous students saw with their own eyes how deeply wounded Noda Village was by the disaster. This original taiko drum performance began with their sincere wish to do something to help other people. It has been inherited by successive generations ever since, and we are the 11th generation to put on this performance.
  Our 3rd year class consists of 32 students. We have learned from students before us, and through trial and error we have pursued our own expressions. We love our hometown, and would be incredibly happy if you could feel the thoughts of the people who live here.

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