Nocturnal Sacred Dance Theater "Iwami Kagura (Slaying of Yamata no Orochi)" & UNESCO Sekishu-Banshi Washi Craft

Iwami Kagura is the most dynamic, fast-paced, and visually dazzling form of Shinto ritual dance theater in Japan, originating in the Iwami region of western Shimane Prefecture and flourishing across the neighboring Geihoku mountains of northern Hiroshima Prefecture. Unlike conventional shrine Kagura dances characterized by slow, solemn movements, Iwami Kagura is renowned for its driving eight-beat rhythm (*Choushi*) propelled by bamboo flutes and taiko drums, opulent silk robes hand-embroidered with gold and silver threads weighing over twenty kilograms, and theatrical stage pyrotechnics. The undisputed climax among its more than thirty mythological *Kojiki* plays is *"Orochi" (Yamata no Orochi)*, which dramatizes the heroic battle of the Storm God Susanoo-no-Mikoto intoxicating and slaying the colossal eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent dragon to rescue Princess Kushinadahime along the upper reaches of the Hiikawa River. The visual marvel of the *Orochi* performance lies in the seventeen-meter-long articulated serpent bodies that coil, rear up, and breathe sparks across the stage with acrobatic precision, alongside fiercely expressive deity and demon masks. Crucially, both the accordion-like serpent bodies and the intricate theatrical masks of Iwami Kagura are crafted not from heavy carved wood that would hinder movement, but from molded layers of *Sekishu-Banshi*—Japan's strongest traditional handmade paper from Hamada and Misato, inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. By combining long, tough local *Kozo* (paper mulberry) fibers with *Tororo-aoi* root mucilage, Sekishu-Banshi achieves extraordinary lightness, tear resistance, and flexibility, enabling performers to execute high-speed spins and leaps while manipulating giant serpents for extended durations. Today, Iwami Kagura thrives not as a fossilized museum relic, but as the vibrant heartbeat of local communities across Shimane and Hiroshima, sustained by over one hundred and thirty village Kagura troupes (*Shachu*) composed of multi-generational residents from schoolchildren to young artisans who perform all night during autumn harvest festivals (*Yomiya*) at neighborhood Shinto shrines. Travelers exploring the Chugoku region can experience live weekend performances year-round at shrines in Hamada City, inside Tatsuno-gozen Shrine at the historic hot spring town of Yunotsu Onsen, or at cultural theaters in northern Hiroshima, and can even participate in hands-on workshops painting authentic Sekishu-Banshi Kagura masks.