 Most viewed - Kenketo Matsuri Festival and Odori Dance ケンケト祭・踊り |
They dance to live music with drums, bell, and flute. The Kenketo Odori dance of Tagi Shrine is a National Intangible Folk Cultural Property. 国選択無形民俗文化財177 views
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Kenketo Odori dance at Tagi Shrine, Tsuchiyama, Shiga.163 views
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Tagi Daimyojin-no-Miya Shrine is dedicated to the water god, for protection against floods. Long ago, nearby rivers often flooded this area. 龍樹大明神宮159 views
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Held on May 3 by Tagi Jinja Shrine (龍樹神社) in Tsuchiyama, the Kenketo Matsuri Festival is highlighted by the Kenketo Odori Dance. The road to the shrine is marked with festival banners.151 views
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Kenketo dancer, Shiga145 views
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My YouTube video of the Kenketo Odori Festival.135 views
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Kenketo Odori poster. The word "kenketo" is written in katakana, but the kanji is written as 献鶏頭 which is not accurate in meaning. It was just made up. No one is sure what kenketo means in Japanese.105 views
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Festival waste material.103 views
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Kenketo Odori Dance at Tagi Jinja Shrine in Tsuchiyama, Shiga Prefecture.86 views
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Kenketo Odori is a dance performed by eight boys aged 7 to 12. The dance was originally started to ward off calamities. The boys wear tall peacock feathers on their heads. 85 views
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The kenketo dancers are put on men's shoulders whenever they are not dancing.73 views
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Then they took a break and most people left. After the break at 4 pm, they danced again at the baba and went to the Otabisho near Yasu River where a ceremony was held. The portable shrines are also carried around. 73 views
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They knock down the flower umbrella and people rush in to grab something. They repeated this several times. This part of the festival is called Hanabai (花ばい).72 views
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Tagi Shrine's closest bus stop is Higashi Maeno. Buses run from Kibukawa Station.69 views
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The first hanagasa went directly to the kenketo dancers. They pulled out the little sticks attached with things like towels, gloves, and maybe some cash.67 views
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Kenketo dancers, wearing peacock feathers, are carried on shoulders.66 views
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These kenketo dancers got a lot of goodies. They deserve it since they practiced hard for the dance.66 views
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66 views
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66 views
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66 views
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At the Otabisho in Maeno at around 1 pm, they hold a ceremony. Then the Kenketo procession, led by the shrine priest, head for Tagi Shrine. 65 views
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Up they go on human shoulders.65 views
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Kenketo dancers wearing peacock, pheasant and other bird feathers. Their feathered cap is called shagama. シャガマ65 views
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65 views
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They dance again in front of the shrine office. 社務所前で宮踊り65 views
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Path to the shrine. The shrine is in Maeno in Tsuchiyama. MAP64 viewsThis Kenketo Odori Dance has been inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022 as one of Japan's furyu-odori (風流踊) ritual dances.
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Large sacred tree.64 views
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64 views
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64 views
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It's a real frenzy. I managed to pick up a plastic flower.63 views
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Kenketo dancers dancing around Tagi Daimyojin-no-Miya Shrine.63 views
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Festival spectators63 views
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Torii to Tagi Jinja.62 views
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Besides the two baton twirlers at the front, there are these boys who play the drums and bell. They just danced across the baba once and stopped.62 views
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The next part of the festival featured numerous hanagasa flower umbrellas stuffed with little goodies.62 views
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62 views
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About Tagi Shrine. The shrine was established to protect the area from flooding by two nearby rivers. Thus it is near the river.61 views
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Tagi Jinja actually consists of two shrines. One is this Tagi Daimyojin-no-Miya Shrine mainly dedicated to a god called Haya-akitsu-Hiko-no-Mikoto (速秋津比古之命) and Haya-akitsu-Hime-no-Mikoto (速秋津比 之命). 龍樹大明神宮61 views
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61 views
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Once in a while, a flower umbrella was dedicated only to the kenketo dancers so it went directly to them. There are 20 flower sticks on these flower umbrellas.61 views
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Kenketo dancer and his reward.61 views
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First, in front of Tagi Daimyojin-no-Miya Shrine, they danced and then danced around the shrine building a few times.61 views
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61 views
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Yasu River.60 views
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Behind the shrine is Yasu River which apparently often flooded the area in the old days. 野洲川59 views
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Bull statue59 views
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The boys were then taken to the shrine.59 views
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59 views
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They danced in front of Tenmangu Shrine, then danced around the shrine a few times.59 views
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59 views
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Tenmangu Shrine in Tsuchiyama, Shiga. 天満宮58 views
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Behind the shrine priest are three festival umbrellas. 三基の傘鉾（日、月、矢）58 views
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The fun part of the festival was when the hanagasa is offered to the crowd who fight over the spoils of the flower umbrella.58 views
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58 views
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Steps going up to the shrine. The Kenketo procession will go up these steps to enter the shrine.57 views
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This is the area (called baba 馬場) where the Kenketo Odori will be performed. The boys will proceed up this path toward the shrine, while a crowd will watch on both sides.57 views
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Kenketo procession passing by tea field.57 views
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57 views
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They perform the baba odori kenketo dance at the baba area.57 views
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57 views
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Another path to Tagi Jinja Shrine in Tsuchiyama, Shiga.56 views
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Haiden Hall on the right and children's mikoshi on the left.56 views
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After going up the steps, the procession reached the shrine at about 1:45 pm.56 views
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After the festival umbrellas, the young boys started their kenketo odori dance on the baba area. 馬場踊り56 views
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Shrine parishioners from three districts (Maeno, Iwamuro, and Tokuhara (前野、徳原と甲賀町岩室) around the shrine participate in the Kenketo Matsuri. Each district takes turns providing the boys who dance each year. 56 views
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56 views
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56 views
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The boys were then taken to the other shrine.56 views
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56 views
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Tagi Shrine is amid tea fields. Tsuchiyama is a major tea-producing area.55 views
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Haiden Hall was rebuilt anew in 2005.55 views
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Honden Halls beyond the fence.55 views
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The other shrine is Tenmangu dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, god of scholarly learning. Popular with students. 天満宮55 views
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The main halls of both shrines: Tagi Daimyojin-no-Miya on the right and Tenmangu on the left. In 2005, both these shrine buildings were rebuilt anew. They look very new and nice.55 views
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This flower umbrella came all the way to where I was.55 views
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55 views
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The boys are taken to Tenmangu Shrine.55 views
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Due to the tall peacock feathers, the boys have to put their head down when going through the gate.55 views
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