Takachiho Yokagura: Attendants in the Sacred Garden 高千穂の夜神楽 奉仕者（ほしゃどん）神庭（こうに わ）
Official explanation
Takachiho Yokagura: Attendants in the Sacred Garden
Attendants of the shrine busy themselves preparing the yokagura venue so that it is fit to welcome the local tutelary deities to a performance. This starts with the building of a visible landmark where the deities are invited to settle (yorishiro). Three tall bamboo stalks are erected and decorated outside the venue, or “kagura hall” (kagurayado). The attendants also set the sacred stage, which is known as the “gods’ garden” (koniwa). Only men are permitted to take on this servant role and the same rule applies to the dance performers, who are called hosyadon.
Read the full explanation
Each year some 20 venues, mostly homes throughout the district, will be selected to serve as the sacred stages for the performances, which are unique to each village and scheduled on different nights from mid-November to February. As these events are held to petition the gods for a bountiful harvest for the current year and fertile conditions for the next. To prepare for the arrival of the water god (mizukami) from the mountains, a dance must be performed to purify the space. During this ritual, the powerful god Tajikarao, who broke the rock door to allow the Sun Goddess to leave her cave, appears in a colorful costume, often with a bright red face or blonde hair. Then comes a night of dance by the pantheon of gods and goddesses of Japanese mythology. Between November and February, a total of 33 mythological episodes are performed at each of the venues, each accompanied by the lively strains of a hayashi ensemble made up of flutes and drums, and other traditional instruments.
出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.
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