Inokawa Natsume Dance and Hamakudari

About this event

The traditional event "Inokawa Natsume Dance and Hamakudari," held in the Inokawa settlement of Tokunoshima Town, Kagoshima Prefecture, consists of Hamakudari—which has been conducted since ancient times to welcome deities from Niraikanai during the rice harvest season—and the accompanying Natsume Dance. Although rice farming is scarcely practiced today, traditional events and performing arts remaining on Tokunoshima are deeply tied to rice cultivation, and cooperation in agriculture and traditional rites is believed to have led to the concepts of yuiwaku and yui (mutual aid). The Natsume Dance performed during Hamakudari involves visiting households throughout the settlement to dance through the night and is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Kagoshima Prefecture. In the evening, residents gather on the shore of Inokawa settlement to enjoy family banquets while offering thanks to ancestors and harvest deities, and the traditional hama-yadori custom can also be seen. From around 11:00 PM, people gather in each of the three districts—Takarajima, Iho, and Sado—and the Natsume Dance begins at the signal of drum beats. Dance troupes parade through neighborhood homes all night long, where drinks, sweets, and towels are distributed. Dancing while singing call-and-response songs between men and women such as "Attara Shichigatsu," the tempo quickens along with the taiko rhythm toward a climax. With many returnees and participants from outside the settlement, people of all ages form large circles and dance through the night until the next morning in this powerful community event.

Venue

Inokawa

Inokawa, Tokunoshima-cho, Oshima-gun, Kagoshima 891-7114