Sasara and Horse Dance (Koma-Odori)

Location: Kiriishi, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: The cemetery, the lion head’s guardian’s house, and other places in the community Date(s): August 13 and 14 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance When Lord Satake was relegated from Hitachi Province (in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) to Akita in 1602, some people […]

Location: Yonaizawa, Kita-Akita City Site(s) of performance: Yonaizawa Shrine, Ryūenji Temple, and other places in the community Date(s): August 13 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The lion dance at Yonaizawa developed as a prayer for bumper crops. In the late 19th century, youth in the area established an association, Kyōyūkai (Association of Brave Men), and

Location: Hadachi, Sotooka, Mitane Town Site(s) of performance: Horyo Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): July 1, August 7 and 13, and September 1 Designation: Town-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance Hadachi Sasara (Mitane Town) was brought here from Konda (in the former Aikawa Town) in the middle of

Location: Takko, Shimo-Iwakawa, Mitane Town Site(s) of performance: Takko Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): August 13 and 14 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The origin of the Takko Sasara is unclear, but it is said to have been drawn from the Jōshū-Ontomo Sasara of Dōji (Noshiro City). There is nothing similar in

Location: Motai, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Various places in the community Date(s): August 13 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The origin of Hadachi sasara presumably goes back to the 17th century. There is a record that when Tagaya Nobuie came from Semboku-Shiraiwa (former Kakunodate Town) to Hiyama Castle (Noshiro City) in 1610, the sasara

Location: Sakagata, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Torigata-Kumano Shrine, the community hall, and Chōsenji Temple Date(s): August 7, 13, and 16 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance There are scrolled records for the Torigata Lion Dance (Torigata Lion Dance), written in 1676 and 1825. According to those records, a man from Nara was adopted in Hitachi

Location: Tsurugata, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Kaizoji Temple and other places in the community Date(s): August 13 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance It is unclear when the Tsurugata Sasara started. According to legends here, when Lord Satake was moved from Hitachi-Ōta (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) to Akita in 1602, a lower-class samurai danced to entertain

Location: Nibuna, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Various places in the community Date(s): August 13 and 14 Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance Nibuna Sasara Dance is believed to have been brought here from Dōji (Noshiro City). This sasara consists of a lion dance, yakko dance (samurai servants’ dance),

Location: Komagata, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City Site(s) of performance: Atago Shrine and other places in the community Date(s): July 24 and August 6 Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property Category: Sasara and Horse Dance The Komagata Lion Dance is considered to be a kind of lion dance, but details of this tradition remain unclear especially because

Location: Kosawada, Kami-Koani Village Site(s) of performance: The open space in front of Kosawada Bridge Date(s): August 13 Category: Sasara and Horse Dance This festival used to be called the Kosawada Lion Dance, but it is now called the Kosawada Horse Dance. That is because they have lost the dance of lions and retained only