KUROMORI KAGURA: JAPANESE FOLKLORE AND DANCE FROM IWATE PREFECTURE

The Asian Arts & Culture Center presents Kuromori Kagura from Japan.  Kagura refers to a type of Japanese folk music and dance in tribute to the gods of Shintoism. In 2006, the Japanese government designated Kuromori Kagura an intangible Cultural Folk Asset. Kuromori Kagura was developed several hundred years ago to specifically worship the divine spirit of the Kuromori Shrine located in Iwate Prefecture. It combines Kuromori Shrine mountain worship with the regional fishing culture and produces the unique, heroic dance and musical accompaniment of the Kuromori Kagura procession considered the preeminent kagura of the region. Places visited by the Kuromori Kagura procession include some localities most hard-hit by the Tohoku earthquake in March 2011. The Kuromori Kagura, however, miraculously escaped serious harm, and has already commenced its sacred offerings at festivals in the Tohoku Region. The 12-member company’s premier U.S. tour brings to the stage a dozen dance and music pieces from their rich repertoire.