Sasara
\nSasara is a three-lion dance with one performer for each lion. Each performer wears a lion head, beats a small drum held at his waist, and jumps up and down energetically. Its music (hayashi) is played by big drums, Japanese flutes, and songs. Sasara is also the name for a musical instrument, Binzasara to be precise, an instrument of wooden plates strung together with a cotton cord. The Sasara dance is so called because the clown, Kakkiri or Zazzaka, often dances together with the three lions, playing the Sasara instrument. The procession of Sasara dances in the Semboku area often includes \u014csei and \u014cji (also known as Fukurokuju, or the god of happiness, wealth, and longevity) with Chinese fans and other gorgeous decorations such as feathered spears and lacquered travel chests for carrying clothes. While Sasara is a kind of lion dance, it is mixed with a variety of performing arts such as B\u014djutsu (martial art of stick fighting) and a yakko dance (samurai servants\u2019 dance). Many Sasara festivals have a secret scroll of authenticity and many of them tell that their origin goes back to the early 17th-century when Lord Satake made a long journey with his followers to Akita. The Sasara dance is variably called the Lion Dance, Sasara-Mai, or Sasara-Odori in Japanese.<\/p>\n
Horse Dance (Koma Odori)
\nThe horse dance (Koma Odori) is a dance of horse-riding samurai. Holding the reins, performers hop and jump as if riding on a horse. The dance numbers in this category include Samba-S\u014d and Tsugai-Koma (horse pair) and come with horse songs (Mago-Uta). Its music is played by drums and Japanese flutes. The horse dance is rarely performed alone. In the same way as Sasara is often performed with yakko dance, B\u014djutsu, and Manzai, the horse dance is often performed with folkloric performance arts of the Fury\u016b category. The horse cance is not performed at all in the Southern part of Akita prefecture, suggesting that this type of dance had religious meanings for people in horse-breeding areas. Horse dances are also seen in the Nambu area (parts of present-day Aomori and Iwate Prefectures) and their relations with the horse dances in Akita require further research.<\/p>\n
Shitakawara Horse Dance<\/a> Sasara Sasara is a three-lion dance with one performer for each lion. Each performer wears a lion head, beats a small drum held at his waist, and jumps up and down energetically. Its music (hayashi) is played by big drums, Japanese flutes, and songs. Sasara is also the name for a musical instrument, Binzasara to …<\/p>\n
\n\u014cbayashi Lion Dance (\u014cbayashi Lion Dance)<\/a>
\nImaizumi Horse Dance<\/a>
\nIzumi-Y\u014dka Sasara<\/a>
\nHadachi Sasara (of Mitane Town)<\/a>
\nTakko Sasara<\/a>
\nHadachi Sasara (of Noshiro City)<\/a>
\nTorigata Lion Dance (Torigata Lion Dance)<\/a>
\nTsurugata Sasara<\/a>
\nNibuna Sasara Dance<\/a>
\nKomagata Lion Dance <\/a>
\nKosawada Horse Dance<\/a>
\nYonaizawa Ky\u014dy\u016bkai Lion Dance<\/a>
\nHonj\u014d Lion Dance<\/a>
\nAni-Maeda Lion Dance<\/a>
\nLion Dance (of Urata)<\/a>
\nArase Lion Dance<\/a>
\nKawaguchi Lion Dance<\/a>
\nShirasawa Lion Dance<\/a>
\nYamada Lion Dance<\/a>
\nJ\u014dsh\u016b-Kudaru Lion Dance<\/a>
\nJ\u014dsh\u016b-Kudaru Ontomo Sasara<\/a>
\nKiriishi Sasara Dance<\/a>
\nSumomotai Horse Dance<\/a>
\nNiageba Bon Dance<\/a>
\nKogake Sasara Dance<\/a>
\nFujikoto-Kamiwaka Good Harvest Dance<\/a>
\nFujikoto-Shimo Good Harvest Dance<\/a>
\nKamisugi Daimyo Procession<\/a>
\nHitachinai Lion Dance<\/a>
\nUmenai Horse Dance<\/a>
\nIshikawa Horse Dance<\/a>
\nMaeyama Folkloric Performance Art<\/a>
\nKayakusa Lion Dance<\/a>
\nHirusawa Lion Dance<\/a>
\nWada Sasara<\/a>
\nOkashinai Lion Dance<\/a>
\nK\u014dya Lion Dance<\/a>
\nHikiji-Machi Lion Dance<\/a>
\nNiiseki Sasara<\/a>
\nUchikawa Kodomo Sasara<\/a>
\nHoriminai Sasara <\/a>
\nYokosawa Sasara<\/a>
\nMatsubara Lion Dance<\/a>
\nDai-Kant\u014d Chinese Lion Dance<\/a>
\nNagano Sasara<\/a>
\nKoyamada Sasara<\/a>
\nSekiguchi Sasara Dance<\/a>
\nKanezawa Sasara Dance<\/a>
\nKawai Horse Dance and Yakko Dance<\/a>
\nHigashi-Nagano Sasara<\/a>
\nTozawa Sasara<\/a>
\nKami-Funagi Horse Dance<\/a>
\nKunimi Sasara<\/a>
\nHirokunai Sasara<\/a>
\nUmezawa Sasara<\/a>
\nMaeg\u014d Shishiko Dance<\/a>
\nB\u014dzawa Lion Dance<\/a>
\nD\u014dnokuchi Sasara<\/a>
\nShitagawara Sasara<\/a>
\nKasuda Lion Dance<\/a>
\nSatake-Yamaya Sasara<\/a>
\nShiraiwa Sasara<\/a>
\nHiraoka Lion Dance<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"