DENGAKU

Dengaku: translation

A form of ceremonial music and dance originating in rice-planting songs and later incorporated into shrine festivals in Kyoto in the mid-Heianperiod. It involves 'rice-maiden' (sa-otome) dances to flutes, drums andsasara(a percussion instrument of two blocks of wood). It is performed (asbinzasara) at thesanja matsuriof theAsakusa jinjain Tokyo on May 17th and at theKumano Nachi Taisba, Wakayama on July 14th.