Iwami Kagura Theater Mainoza [Ushiroji-cho, Gotsu]

A spectacular entertainment performance at Shimane's first permanent theater

In the evening of a trip to Iwami, Iwami Kagura is a must-see. In the Iwami Region, performances of Iwami Kagura are held throughout the year in many places. Among them, Mainoza was built as the first theater dedicated to Iwami Kagura in Shimane.

Iwami Kagura is a traditional performance art loved by the people of Iwami. Originally, it was a dance dedicated to the gods and performed at shrines at certain times of the year. In recent years, the high level of entertainment has been recognized, so this permanent viewing theater was built for tourists to more easily experience the beauty of the performance.

Since there was filming on that day, a private show was held for Miwa Ishihara. The performance was “Orochi" (a large serpent), which has many fans from children to adults.

As soon as Miwa took her seat in the center of the front row, the curtain opened and the performance began. During the climax of the fight scene between Susanoo-no-Mikoto and the giant serpent, the spectacular blue and red lights were flashing. It was such an amazing show that you might forget that you were watching a traditional Japanese performance.

The four giant serpents were energetically crawling on the stage, and sometimes part of a serpent was right in front of Miwa’s face.

You will be drawn into the unique world of Iwami Kagura as soon as you see it up close. The speedy and powerful dances by the performers are unique to Iwami Kagura, and you can't help but forget to blink.

Finally, the hero of justice, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, brilliantly disposes of the giant serpents and poses to show off his prowess. Miwa, who was the only audience member, was completely fascinated, and continued to give generous applause to the performers.

She said that she has enjoyed many Iwami Kagura performances, including those dedicated at shrines. But even for Miwa, the performance of “Orochi” here at Mainoza was a completely new experience.

“This time it was a completely different style of “Orochi” and it was really powerful! It is nice to see Kagura at the Kagura Hall in the shrine, but it is also fun to watch Kagura in a place like this theater. It is still a traditional

performance art, but it is easy for anyone to enjoy it without prior knowledge.”She said she would highly recommend that tourists go to the theater to enjoy the fantastic entertainment without preparing to watch a traditional performance.
After the performance, Miwa took a commemorative photo with the members of the company and left the theater.

“I think Kagura was originally meant to entertain the gods. The way to entertain people may be a little different now than it was in the past, but I think it is very valuable that it has been passed down through the generations, changing its form with the times. I could feel that the young people were practicing hard, truly loving Kagura, and giving everything to their performance. That's why Iwami Kagura continues to be performed as it evolves without fading over time,” explained Miwa.