ONDAKE KAGURA / Bungo-Ono City

Kagura is an ancient Japanese Shinto performance art where the gods are brought down to the kamikura (a sacred seat) and participants evoke the gods through ritualistic dance, entering a state of divine possession in which the will of the gods is revealed, and blessings or purifications are bestowed.

The origins of Ondake Kagura in Bungo–Ono City trace back to the Kamakura period, and there are genuine documented dedications from the Edo period. The performance, inspired by a legend from Japan’s oldest history book, Kojiki, consists of 33 acts characterised by simple yet dynamic style, sometimes forcefully, sometimes in flowing motions, as the performers stamp their feet and hands on the ground in a large swinging motion. Ondake Kagura is the source of the Ono–clan Iwato Kagura, and in recognition of its artistic and cultural significance, it was designated as the first National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Oita Prefecture.

Regular performances by local Kagura troupes, including Ondake Kagura, are held at the city’s Kagura Hall, enabling tourists to view this traditional art up close. In autumn, the ‘Ondake Kagura Festival’ is also held at the ‘Kagura no Sato Nohba Park’. Kagura troupes across the prefecture come together there to showcase a number of traditional performing arts.