Sustaining Tradition
The November 4th edition of Jinja Shinpō had an article about a tradition of sacred dance at two jinja in Gifu Prefecture, Hakusan Jinja and Matusno’o Hakusan Jinja. Looking at the maps, this jinja seems to be in a very rural area, in a mountain valley. The sacred dance is called “Sugōjishi”, because the area is called “Sugō” and it is a form of Shishi dance, in which the dancers “dress” as “lions”. The scare quotes are because the shishi do not look much like lions, and the costumes are… Read More »Sustaining Tradition