About this event
The "Okina Hajime-shiki" held every year on January 3 at Taga Taisha Shrine in Taga Town, Shiga Prefecture, is a sacred performing arts ritual to welcome the deities at the start of the year, marking the beginning of the annual Noh performances at Taga Taisha. Because the piece performed is "Okina", it has been affectionately known by this name since ancient times. In this sacred ritual, the Shigeyama troupe of Okura-school kyogen actors and the Katayama troupe of Kanze-school noh performers serve, using masks that are held in the shrine's collection and regarded as masterpieces attributed to Nikko. On the day, three pieces—"Okina Sanbaso", "Yashima", and "Fuku no Kami"—are dedicated on the Noh stage within the shrine grounds, praying for peace throughout the realm and a bountiful harvest for the year. Taga Taisha preserves 59 Noh masks and 13 Kyogen masks, and its proximity to the adjacent Binmanji Temple, regarded as the birthplace of Omi Sarugaku, attests to its long history of dedicating Noh performances for sacred rituals since ancient times.
Source website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Noh Mai-den (Noh Dance Hall)
527 Taga, Taga-cho, Inukami-gun, Shiga 522-0341
Open in Google Maps ↗