Do you know “Bitchu Kagura”?
This traditional performing art (kagura) has been passed down in the Takahashi River Basin since the Edo period and is still performed as an offering at festivals and events today.
Those who carry on Bitchu Kagura are trained by the Nariwa Bitchu Kagura Training Association, which is based in Nariwa-cho, Takahashi City, the birthplace of Bitchu Kagura.
Takeru of Tokyo Hoteison, who serves as a “Bitchu Takahashi Ambassador” for Takahashi City, is also said to be an alumnus. We visited to report on the people carrying on Bitchu Kagura as they practiced.
The information presented was current when this article was published in June 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is Bitchu Kagura?
Tracing the history of Bitchu Kagura back more than 500 years to the Muromachi period, it is said to have originated with “Kojin Kagura,” which priests performed as an offering before the gods.
It was performed as a religious rite to pacify the raging gods.
Dances such as the dance of Sarutahiko-no-Mikoto and the sakaki dance, both part of Bitchu Kagura, are said to have inherited the tradition of Kojin Kagura.
The theatrical, modern form of Bitchu Kagura, based on Japanese mythology, is said to have been popularized about 220 years ago during the Edo period by Nishibayashi Kokkyo, a priest in what is now Nariwa-cho, Takahashi City.
Nishibayashi Kokkyo
A kokugaku scholar and priest in the late Edo period. He is known as the founder of Bitchu Kagura.
It shows the influence of Iwami Kagura, which originated in what is now western Shimane Prefecture. Representative performances include Opening the Heavenly Rock Cave, Transfer of the Land, and Slaying the Great Serpent, based on the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.
About the Nariwa Bitchu Kagura Training Association
The Nariwa Bitchu Kagura Training Association was established in 1988.
Following Bitchu Kagura’s designation as a Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1979, children’s kagura groups were established throughout the Takahashi River Basin area. This association was one of them, formed with the aim of training children to become the next generation of Bitchu Kagura performers.
The group currently has 10 members, from preschoolers to high school students. They practice for about two hours every Wednesday from 7 p.m. at the annex of Takahashi City Nariwa Cultural Center.
They also showcase the results of their practice at performances held not only in Takahashi City but at venues throughout Okayama Prefecture on weekends and during long school holidays.
Practice
We visited a practice session on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, for this article. Their intense performances, just like the real thing, had us completely absorbed.
Under the guidance of three instructors—the lead instructor, Otsuka Yoshinobu, and instructors Fujiwara Shion and Fujiwara Rina, both alumni of the association—the members practice various performances.
This is Maruyama Kenshiro, a second-year middle school student. He is a veteran with 10 years of experience, having started Bitchu Kagura at age three.
Maruyama spoke about what makes Bitchu Kagura special:
“What makes Bitchu Kagura special is that performers and audience members can enjoy it together as one. I especially enjoy the dynamic, powerful performances, such as Slaying the Great Serpent.”
The younger children also practice by watching and imitating what the older boys and girls do.
Performances
On weekends and during long school holidays, they perform not only in Takahashi City but at venues throughout Okayama Prefecture.
This shows a performance at the Nariwa Festival, held in Nariwa-cho, Takahashi City, in November 2024.
This shows a performance at an event held in April 2025 at Convex Okayama in Kita Ward, Okayama City.
We spoke with Otsuka Yoshinobu, the lead instructor who trains the next generation, about Bitchu Kagura and the Nariwa Bitchu Kagura Training Association.
Nariwa Bitchu Kagura Training Association Information
| Name | Nariwa Bitchu Kagura Training Association |
|---|---|
| Address | 967 Shimohara, Nariwa-cho, Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Website | Nariwa Bitchu Kagura Training Association |
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