I spied these unusual dancers and musicians on a recent visit to Ise Grand Shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture. They are performing gagaku, a style of ceremonial court music and dance. This art is inherently religious and is only performed at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and at very select Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples […]
Tag Archives: Shinto
July
26
Lanterns for lost souls
posted by Claire Usmar
Mitama Festival at a Shinto shrine in Tsu, Mie Prefecture.
December
08
Horses are cool
posted by Claire Usmar
Forget all the futuristic technologies and oddities that have forged Japan’s modern reputation as ‘cool’. The Land of the Rising Sun was cool way before then. Since around the 13th and 14th centuries AD, to be precise. Yabusame (流鏑馬) is a ritualised form of mounted archery where would be warriors demonstrate their prowess whilst dressed […]
