Akiko Dec 13, 20212 minCreation: Ritual of Spirit Possession This article is totally not about Japanese religious events but about the creation of new rituals. This year I got the luck to teach a...
Akiko Nov 27, 20212 minSong of a fox: sumarī pūkosanThe tonkori is a string instrument of Ainu. Here, you can listen to the performance of Shirakawa Yaeko, an Ainu woman playing a piece...
Akiko Sep 11, 20211 minMysterious Priest and Her TalismansSo many traditional customs had been still practiced in my childhood. My grandmother knew the meanings of plants, and people had minded...
Akiko Apr 10, 20212 minProcession by men dressed as womenA book entitled Tensai kara Nihonshi wo Yominaosu, Rereading Japanese history through natural disasters, written by Dr. Isoda Michifumi,...
Akiko Feb 6, 20211 minLion Dance of Shirano in Yamanashi 2The Lion dance is one of popular performing arts in westside of Yamanashi prefecture. In this post, I will introduce musical instruments...
Akiko Jan 24, 20211 minLion Dance of Shirano in Yamanashi 1Every first Saturday of August, the festival named Kagaribi matsuri is held in Otsuki city in Yamanashi. This festival is an event held...
Akiko Sep 13, 20201 minAinu Musical Instrument 2: TonkoriThe Ainu is one of the minorities of Japan, living in the northern part of Japan. Now they are principally living in Hokkaido, but also...
Akiko Sep 6, 20201 minAinu Musical Instrument: MukkuriThe mukkuri is a jew harp, which is a traditional Ainu musical instrument. It is generally practiced by females. It is made of bamboo,...
Akiko Jul 21, 20202 minDondon-yaki : New Year's bonfire In 2018, I got an occasion to visit Dondo-yaki festival at small village in Yamanashi prefecture. There are series of New Year's rites...
Akiko Jul 6, 20202 minIconography of kagura performance at Ise 1Here, a picture of Ise Daidai-kagura no zu , picture of Daidai-kagura being the possession of Ise-jingū shrine. This picture is from the...
Akiko Jun 26, 20202 minAmor Tatenashi at Kanda-Ten-jinja shrineThis image is from site of Nespaper Yamanashi Nichinichi shinbun. The Amor nicknamed Tate nashi no yoroi, litteraly amor "no need a...
Akiko Jun 20, 20203 minA Brief Introduction to Buddhist Instruments Buddhist monk and also band player, Eishin Watanabe plays Bub Marley's Three Little Birds with Buddhist instruments (and guitar). I found...
Akiko Jun 19, 20203 minAtsumori : 50 years in human world Kōwakamai is a genre of medieval theatre (danse). Although it is less known, the text "jinkan gojūnen geten no uchi wo kurabureba" is...
Akiko Jun 17, 20202 minTingsha becomes kane : Why Buddhist instrument is in Shintō danceThis article is only for my notice. I'm afraid that this article is totally for personal remark. But I've never read that someone relate...
Akiko Jun 15, 20201 minIkutama matsuri canceled Ikutama matsuri is one of three biggest summer festival in Osaka. It is annual summer festival of Ikukunitama jinja shrine and is held...
Akiko Jun 3, 20201 minAinu as political issueToday I found a news that an individual in Shenzhen, China filed registration of trademark of the word "Ainu" to Japan's Patent office....
Akiko Jun 2, 20203 minBishamon Daiko Drum EnsembleMy hometown is very small with less 1000 inhabitants. The town is divided in 6 areas. Two of them, including the one where my family is...
Akiko May 4, 20201 minJapanese-Portuguese dictionary by Jesuit missionary I found this by chance while looking for Historia de Iapam. This is Arte da Lingoa de Iapam, Japanese-Portuguese dictionary edited by...
Akiko Apr 26, 20201 min#Amabiechallenge Amabie is merman-like creature with three legs. It is one of yokai, popularised supernatural spirits in Japanese folklore. Its oldest...
Akiko Mar 17, 20202 minHoly chickens - Sugisawa Hiyama I've been working for Sugisawa Hiyama, one of Bangaku (kagura) in Yamagata, North-West Japan. Its most mysterious piece among its...