Hiroshima City Kagura Troupe Performances Series July-September [Yuki Lodge]

Held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from 2024/7/14 (Sun) to 9/22 (Sun)

Takiyasha-hime (Lady Takiyasha)

About 1,000 years ago, the aristocrats in Kyoto, the capital of Japan, lived in the lap of luxury while the people living outside of the capital lived in poverty. Angered at this disparity of wealth, General Taira-no-Masakado, a resident of the Kanto area, decided to overthrow the current government and create his own capital province in the east where wealth would be distributed more evenly. However, when the government received word of his plans, they ordered him and his entire family to be killed. This play centers on Takiyasha, the sole survivor of the Taira clan massacre. Seeking revenge, she is gifted dark magical powers by a god and assembles an army to destroy the government forces who murdered her family.

Return to Event content

Jinrin

The 14th Emperor of Japan, Tarashinakatsuhiko, faces a vast army of tens of thousands that have come to attack Japan from a foreign land. When the emperor hears that the army has at their command a winged demon known as Jinrin that flies upon a black cloud causing havoc, he takes up his heavenly bow and arrow, and together with Takamaro, sets out to defeat the demon. After a fierce battle, the emperor is victorious.

Return to Event content

Nine-Tailed Fox (Akko-den)

In the mid-Heian period, there was a beautiful maiden named Tamamo-no-mae who served Emperor Toba. She earns his favor, but as she does, the emperor begins to feel unwell. Sensing something is wrong, his diviner, Abe-no-Yasuchika, consults with the spirit realm and finds that Tamamo-mae is actually a golden nine-tailed fox in disguise from China, where she seduced a king with large quantities of alcohol and caused havoc in the land.

With her true identity revealed, Tamamo-no-mae flees to Nasuno-ga-Hara in Shimotsuke Province where she uses her ability to shapeshift to cause chaos in the province, bringing suffering to the people. When she transforms into a beautiful woman again, she goes to Jūnen-ji Temple, where no women are allowed, under the pretense of being a lost traveler. There, she captures a monk named Chinsai and devours him. In the end, famed archer Miura-no-suke and Kazusa-no-suke are ordered to destroy the nine-tailed fox and Tamamo-mae is defeated.

Return to Event content

Rashōmon
At Rashōmon, Watanabe-no-Tsuna cuts off the left arm of the demon Ibaraki-dōji and brings it back home with him. When Shuten-dōji learns that his underling’s arm has been severed, he hatches a plan to get it back by transforming into Tsuna’s old nurse, Shirotae. The demon’s plan works and Shuten-dōji attacks Tsuna with magic before reattaching Ibaraki-dōji’s arm. The demons then use their power to fly back to their home on Mt. Ōeyama. (This is the second play in the Mt. Ōeyama trilogy.)

Return to Event content

Momiji-gari

Originally a Noh chant, it was turned into a kagura play featuring Taira-no-Koremochi, a military commander during the Heian period, as the main character. When rumors reach the capital that demon women, who live deep in the forests of Mt. Togakushi in Shinshū, are terrorizing the people of the surrounding villages, Koremochi is ordered to destroy them and heads to Shinshū. But, the demon women, having heard that Koremochi is on his way, decide to lure him to a maple leaf-viewing party deep in the mountain forest. There, they pour him cup after cup of sake and once he’s inebriated, the demons strike. However, the god Yahata-no-Kami realizes the danger that Koremochi is in and sends his messenger, Takeuchi-no-Kami, to deliver a sacred sword to him. Regaining consciousness thanks to divine intervention, Koremochi uses the divine sword to defeat the demon women.

Chant: In a village without demons in Togakushi, the sun sets and tonight, the faces of demon women await

Return to Event content

Modori-bashi Bridge (Part One of the Ōeyama Trilogy)

 In the mid-Heian period, there was a demon named Shuten-dōji who lived on Mt. Ōeyama in the Tamba Province. He had many demon henchmen who worked for him, and they would appear in the capital, Kyoto, and villages near the capital, causing all manner of havoc and chaos. One of his henchmen, Ibaraki-dōji, would transform into an old woman and each night, the demon would appear at Modori-bashi Bridge in Kyoto and terrorize the people. Watanabe-no-Tsuna, one of Minamoto-no-Raikō’s Four Heavenly generals, is ordered to destroy Ibaraki-dōji, but is nearly killed himself when faced with the demon’s dark powers. However, he is saved by Sakata-no-Kintoki, who arrives to join the fray, having been told about Tsuna’s fate in a prophecy by the god of Iwashimizu. Kintoki and Tsuna succeed in cutting off Ibaraki-dōji’s left arm. The demon then flees back to his home on Mt. Ōeyama.

Return to Event content

The Old Woman in the Woods (Yama-uba)

Minamoto-no-Raikō heads to conquer the Eastern Lands with his retainer, Watanabe-no-Tsuna. They come across Mt. Agero in Shinshū. Living on Mt. Agero is an old woman who was the wife of a warrior. However, when her husband died, she was cast out of the imperial capital. Harboring hatred for the world and its cruel people, she was reduced to becoming a mountain bandit with her only son, Kaidō-maru. The pair try to attack Raikō, but he overpowers them, and Kaidō-maru’s mother begs Raikō to spare her son’s life. Moved by the old woman’s plight to save her son, he forgives her and takes her son as his retainer, renaming him Sakata-no-Kintoki. He goes on to be one of Raikō’s four most trusted generals.

Return to Event content

Tsuchigumo (Spider Demon)

Long ago in Yamato-no-Kuni (current Nara Prefecture), high on Mt. Katsuragi-zan, there lived an ancient spider demon bent on throwing the world into chaos. When the great general Minamoto-no-Raiko falls terribly ill, the demon seizes on the opportunity to be rid of him. Raiko sends his maid, Koch, to fetch some medicine to cure him, but before she can return, the demon attacks her and possesses her body. The demon then brings Raiko poison, telling him that it is a potent medicine. Raiko takes the medicine, but realizes that Kocho has been possessed by the spider demon and attacks with his sword, a family heirloom with magical powers. The spider demon, bleeding, fees to its lair on Mt. Katsuragi-zan. Raiko entrusts the magical sword to his men and sends them to Mt. Katsuragi-zan to slay the spider demon.

Return to Event content

Yatsuhana-no-mai (Eight Flower Petals)

This performance features four swordsmen training for battle. When looking at the four dancers in a circle with their swords drawn, it looks like a flower unfolding, which is where the title, Eight Flower Petals, comes from. An extremely acrobatic and dynamic performance, Eight Flower Petals requires each dancer to be in sync with one another. According to a well-known Hiroshima-based kagura researcher, it is one of the most beautiful kagura performances in Japan.
This performance is steeped in battle techniques and elements, making it a truly exciting performance.

Return to Event content