Omoto Kagura Traditional Museum [Sakurae-cho, Gotsu]

An important museum where you can experience and find the roots of Iwami Kagura

The most famous kagura in Iwami is Iwami Kagura, but Omoto Kagura is said to be the original form of Iwami Kagura. Omoto Kagura is derived from the faith in a god called Omoto, who has existed in western Shimane since ancient times. Omoto is believed to be a god who gives blessings, and it is said that Omoto Kagura was born as a dance to express gratitude to the god and to entertain the god after the autumn harvest in the agricultural and mountainous areas.

The Omoto Kagura Traditional Museum was established to convey the tradition of Omoto Kagura to the present day and to preserve its importance. Omoto Kagura was also designated as an important intangible folk cultural asset of Japan in 1979.

“Depending on the area, the kagura is offered about once every six years. The most notable feature is the ritual, called “Takusen” (Oracle), in which people listen to the God's instructions through “Kamigakari ”(divine possession), is passed down from generation to generation. Omoto Kagura is a Shinto ritual to wish for bountiful harvests of the five grains and good health.”

Mr. Noriyuki Motoyama, the head of the Buddhist-parishioners of Iiosan-Hachimangu, explained the details of Omoto Kagura.

While Iwami Kagura has a strong element of entertainment, Omoto Kagura has been inherited through the generations as a traditional Shinto ritual. Omoto Kagura is a faithful reproduction of the tradition and is still regularly performed in various places in Ochi and Gotsu.

In these circumstances, a problem arises with a lack of successors. It seems that as depopulation progresses, the number of young people who wish to participate in the dedication of Omoto Kagura decreases.

Miwa Ishihara said, “The fact that the tradition has been handed down for so long is great, so it would be nice if there were opportunities to learn more about Omoto Kagura in order to be able to pass it on to the next generation.”

She has never seen Omoto Kagura, and would love to go to see it when it will be dedicated next autumn.