Forty-one ritual folk dances from around Japan were added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List in 2022. The Kuta Hanagasa Dance is performed in a rural community in the very north of Kyoto city. Every summer, the men make flower lanterns by hand to be used in the ritual as they sing and dance to a drum accompaniment before the local deities in gratitude for a plentiful harvest. Discover the Kuta villagers' lifestyle and follow their preparations for the ritual.
These beautiful white flowers are not real, but made from paper and wood.
The men's hands deftly bring the flowers to life.
The flower lanterns are a tradition of a mountain village in Kyoto.
On a night in late summer, the men of the village carry the lanterns while singing and dancing
in a festival dedicated to the village's guardian deities.
The Kuta Hanagasa Dance.
This ritual folk dance, which goes back more than five centuries,
has been added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List.
It's a reaffirmation that
I'm part of Kuta.
Hanagasa ties Kuta together.
If we couldn't hold the rite, it would
probably lead to the end of the community.
We give it our all so it won't disappear.
We must preserve the custom.
Core Kyoto delves into the Kuta Hanagasa Dance, the pride of a rural part of Kyoto.
Kuta is nestled in mountains reaching an altitude of more than 800 meters,
in the very north of the municipality of Kyoto.
Tsunemoto Osamu, 68, was born and raised in the village.
Enamored with rural life, he insists he could never live anywhere else.
80-plus residents.
They said that less than 100 would be the end
of the village, but somehow we've survived.
Tsunemoto runs farmstays in his family home, which is more than 250 years old.
The thatched roof is made from silvergrass.
Such roofs take much effort and money, so few remain in Kuta.
But Tsunemoto gathers the materials he needs and maintains it himself.
Having the thatched roof in among
the greenery is quite atmospheric.
I love it. I want to preserve it
as long as I'm alive.
Tsunemoto and his wife raise Kitayama Yuzengiku which only grows here.
In summer, they bloom lilac.
The variety of New York aster that grew wild in the area was first modified and bred around 30 years ago.
The Tsunemotos busy themselves with weeding every day.
If we get them all, the flowers will beautifully
bloom like a carpet. It's the event of the year.
He just can't sit still. If he did,
he'd probably drop dead.
It's non-stop.
There's something to do every day.
The lush forests in the mountains hold much water which eventually merges to become the Kuta River.
The crystal clear waters have sustained local life in many ways.
Tsunemoto serves his guests fresh fish from the river.
The special thing about Kuta is the
amago salmon that live in the pristine water.
Everyone should try them.
The name Kuta first appears in written records around 1,200 years ago as a supplier of timber.
Felled trees would be lashed together into rafts, which were then navigated downriver.
The Kuta River further downstream joins the Ado River, which flows into Lake Biwa.
From there, the lumber would be transported to Nara and the capital.
But sometimes the swirling waters were difficult to pass and raftsmen would lose their lives.
In the Kuta and Ado River basin, residents began praying for the raftsmen's safety to what became known as the Shikobuchi deities.
This Shinto shrine, founded in 793, is dedicated to these guardian deities of raftsmen.
Shikobuchi Jinja's centuries-old annual festival, the Hanagasa Dance, is held on August 24th.
Holding lanterns adorned with handcrafted flowers, participants sing and dance to a drum accompaniment
before the local deities in gratitude for a plentiful harvest.
Similar dances have been passed down for generations in regions nationwide.
Ritual folk dances became common in the Middle Ages.
People would gather and perform or sing to a musical accompaniment of gongs, drums and flutes.
Forty-one of these ritual folk dances from across Japan
were added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List in 2022.
In the lead up to the festival, villagers gather at the local hall for rehearsals.
People who have filial connections to Kuta but now live in other regions also attend.
Hanagasa ties Kuta together,
and I'm sure everyone agrees.
It's just part of life here.
But the UNESCO listing made me realize
how special this tradition is -
and how much
it's valued by others.
They sing ballads dating back more than five centuries.
At one time, there were 130 songs, but only a dozen or so survive today.
The drum fulfills a vital role as it provides the dancers with rhythmic guidance.
This year, the responsibility falls to Okunaka Shigeto, 56, who divides his time between Kuta and downtown Kyoto.
It is only his second year playing the drum.
As senior member, Tsunemoto takes him under his wing and guides him.
He's listening too much to the singers.
He goes to drum then stops.
Ignore it. You can't dance properly here
if you're keeping time with the drum.
"He's hesitating."
Strike then call, "inya," right?
No, no. At the same time as the "inya."
Last year was his first year,
so he accompanied a simple song.
This year, he's playing
all the songs.
- Alone?
- Yes.
It's tough.
Okunaka's father, Sadao, was said to be the living embodiment of the Hanagasa Dance,
and was a master singer and drummer.
He had a large presence in the community.
I was taught to drum by his father, Sadao.
It's like I'm keeping his legacy alive.
I can do it, because I have
Tsunemoto to guide me.
I wouldn't have a clue
without him.
Tsunemoto still has the cassettes from around 50 years ago on which he recorded the elders singing and playing the drum.
He devotes himself to putting the previouly oral tradition into a visual form.
It's unfortunate that we
only sing 10 songs now.
If there were visual materials
with which people could practice,
they'd be a great help
if anything happened to me.
We should do what we can, instead of leaving
the next generation to work it out themselves.
I've done what I can, so I hope
they do what they can to keep it alive.
Early August, and Kuta is carpeted in the lilac of Kitayama Yuzengiku.
They are the Tsunemotos' pride and joy.
It looks like the area's original
landscape, and it's worth the effort.
It's the greatest.
A festival is held when the flowers are in bloom.
People from all over Japan come to soak in the scenery.
This lilac hue is indescribable. It's wonderful.
I've come every year for over a decade.
The women in the village wear traditional farmers' attire to enhance the atmosphere.
Tsunemoto works so hard, so we help him out.
I have to whip my old body into action.
Despite the drop in population, the village attracts many visitors.
You can't live here long-term
if the village isn't lively.
Ultimately, I'm doing it for me. Next year
again I'll devote myself to the weeding.
In mid-August, people across Japan celebrate the Bon festival in memory of their ancestors.
During this time, Kuta households honor an age-old custom.
Residents use river rocks to erect Jizo bodhisattva statues, which they refer to as "Kawa Jizo."
It's hard to balance
their hats properly.
I think this tradition of six Jizo began in memory
of the raftsmen who lost their lives on the job.
The Kuta residents begin making the flower lanterns in mid-August.
One household in each of the five districts is appointed as a "flower house for the festival preparations."
The Tsunemoto residence is the Miyanochou district's flower house, this year.
It has long been the custom for males from other households to gather and help make the lanterns.
Each flower lantern holds a candle inside.
The hexagonal bases are adorned with intricate cut-paper designs.
The men make a variety of flowers - mostly of paper.
Amur cork bark is shaved to provide the bright yellow pollen on the roses.
The villagers in the past were amazing
to come up with this. We're just copying them.
Miyanochou has its own unique way to make flowers, and Tsunemoto is heading to the forest to collect materials.
We call this "hashimame," but its
scientific name is "Stachyurus praecox."
This deciduous shrub is native to Japan.
Tsunemoto inserts a thin rod into the branches to remove their cores.
The sponge-like cores are then sliced.
The tips are curled, and one by one they are layered to create white chrysanthemum.
I was never allowed
to make them as a kid.
When I came of age, I was asked
to make a bloom,
and I was so happy that I could
finally get to make some.
This is the Shimonocho district's flower house.
This year, Omura Masanobu is in charge of making the flowers.
Six years ago, he was looking for the ideal location to set up a horse ranch and settled in Kuta.
Omura participates in the Hanagasa Dance out of gratitude for the acceptance shown by the villagers.
I make every effort to
participate in community life.
I must do whatever I can
to help out.
Two other households have also relocated to Shimonocho.
Tanabe Kenji was attracted by the natural surroundings and moved here from urban Kyoto in 2021.
The festival was being held
soon after I moved,
so it was a chance to talk with everyone,
and I soon blended into the community.
Sugimura Keiji, a woodworker, moved here in 2013.
He put his skills to good use and made these wooden frames for the lanterns.
I felt privileged to become involved in
a centuries-old custom like this.
Originally, all six sides of the base would have the same cut-paper design.
Sugimura suggested incorporating the changing seasons as a continuous design.
Sugimura was the first one in Shimonocho
to present a cut-paper story on each side.
With the number of participants decreasing, the new residents are a welcome addition.
On this day, Tsunemoto's eldest son, Chiharu, who works in the city center, brings his family for a visit.
He contributes wherever he can to the festival preparations, no matter how little it is.
I can't come back
unless I have a few days off.
I'd be able to participate more
if I could work from here.
- Not bad.
- Talking about my skill?
- What are you doing, Daddy?
- Making flowers.
It's like growing up in Kuta
and playing in the river.
If the kids remember that Granddad and Dad
were doing all this, there is hope for the future.
The men make these elaborate flowers to embody the villagers' prayers.
Festival day is around the corner.
The day of the festival.
The dancers gather at the flower houses.
Today's the day.
I think all will go well
if I beat solemnly and quietly.
8 pm, and the participants from all districts have gathered at Kaminomiya Jinja in the north of the village.
Before the dance begins, the lanterns are offered to the deities
to show the villagers' gratitude for the year's bountiful harvest.
The 12 lanterns from all districts sway to the music.
After two songs, the dancers move on.
They dedicate dances to the deities at each of the village's three shrines.
After the dedication at Okawa Jinja, the procession continues on to Shikobuchi Jinja.
Poles are struck to purify the area before the Hanagasa Dance is dedicated at Shikobuchi Jinja.
"This year was an auspicious year."
"One ear of rice yielded abundant grain."
The flowers also once embodied the hopes of starting new families.
In days gone by, each single man would give the flower lantern he made to the one who stole his heart.
I felt the residents' strong passion for
preserving this generations-old rite.
Normally, festivals are very lively and noisy, but this one's really calm,
and tranquil and peaceful, so I really loved to see it.
I have a lot to reflect on.
I'm sure he knows what I mean.
Everyone will tell him he did
a bad job at first,
but I'm sure he won't give up.
He'll do his best.
- I need much more practice.
- So do I.
The Hanagasa Dance of Kuta.
It brings residents new and old together, and forges solid bonds in the community.