Knowra Kagura Kagura Kagura is a Japanese tradition of music and dance performed in offering to Shinto deities. It ranges from formal court rites to locally rooted shrine and folk performances.
Shinto : A Japanese religious tradition centered on kami, sacred places, and ritual practices. Kagura is performed as an offering to kami within Shinto practice.
Mikagura : A court form of kagura performed in the Japanese imperial palace for religious ceremonies. It represents the formal courtly branch of kagura, distinct from village and shrine traditions.
Miko-mai : A ceremonial dance performed by miko at Shinto shrines, often with bells or branches. It is a recognizable dance form within some kagura rites.
Kojiki : An eighth-century Japanese chronicle containing myths, genealogies, and accounts of the early imperial lineage. Its account of Ame-no-Uzume’s dance informs traditional explanations of kagura’s beginnings.
Matsuri : A Japanese festival, often centered on a shrine or temple and involving ritual, processions, and communal celebration. Kagura is frequently performed as part of local shrine festivals.
Kami : Divine beings or sacred presences in Shinto, associated with natural features, ancestors, and human communities. Kagura’s dances and music address the kami to whom performances are offered.
Satokagura : A family of regional kagura performances presented at shrines and festivals outside the imperial court. It shows how kagura developed into varied local performance traditions.
Kagura suzu : A handheld cluster of bells used in Japanese ritual dances, including kagura. Their sound accompanies dance and marks ritual action.
Nihon Shoki : An eighth-century chronicle of Japan’s early history and mythology, compiled at the imperial court. It preserves another early account of the myth linked to kagura’s origin.
Shishi-mai : A Japanese lion dance in which performers wear a lion costume and dance at festivals and rites. Some regional kagura traditions incorporate lion-dance forms to bless communities.
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