Iki’s sacred kagura, passed down through the dances and music of Shinto priests
Iki Kagura
The 2026 edition of Iki has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/01Ended
- Season / frequency
- August and December / Twice a year
- Location
- Katsumoto-machi Fureai Center Kazahaya
- Area
- Nagasaki Prefecture・Iki City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 20 min · flight time only)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Not open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Iki Kagura is a ritual performing art held at shrine festivals on Iki Island. In 2026, a Daidaikagura performance was held at Katsumoto-machi Fureai Center Kazahaya.
About Iki Kagura
Iki Kagura is a ritual-object kagura performed at festivals at shrines throughout Iki Island.
A kagura stage is set up in a shrine’s or a sacred space before the deity, and ritual wands, , halberds, swords, bows, and other implements are used to express sacredness.
It has been passed down as a ritual performing art with a strong local character, featuring pieces and dance styles unique to Iki.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース / 長崎県の文化財
Festival highlights
Highlights include a variety of dances featuring ritual wands, shimenawa, halberds, swords, bows, and other implements.
The repertoire passed down includes Sarutahiko, Uzume, Kami-zumō, Ryōbu, Yutate, Iwato-biraki, and Hōnen-mai, among others—pieces based on myths and festival rites.
The repertoire passed down today is said to comprise 37 pieces, showcasing dance styles unique to Iki.
Iki’s sacred kagura, passed down through the dances and music of
What to expect
At the 2026 Iki Daidaikagura performance, Daidaikagura will be performed for approximately 6 hours, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Shinto priests serving at shrines on Iki perform the dances and music for worshipping the deities.
At the performance venue, visitors can watch a selection of pieces passed down through shrine festivals in one sitting.
Source: 壱岐大大神楽公演2026 | イベント | 【公式】壱岐観光ナビ
How to take part
This is not an event where general visitors participate as dancers.
Only Shinto priests serving at shrines on Iki are permitted to dance and perform the music of Iki Kagura.
Visitors can enjoy watching the kagura offered and performed by the priests.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Katsumoto-machi Fureai Center Kazahaya / 1736-2 Okubofure, Katsumoto-machi, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Address 1736-2 Okubofure, Katsumoto-machi, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 Iki Daidaikagura performance was held on August 1 (Saturday).
The performance runs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., for approximately 6 hours.
Information says that Daidaikagura is performed only twice a year, in August and December, but the venue in December is said to be Sumiyoshi Shrine.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Nagasaki Prefecture / Iki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The performance runs for approximately 6 hours, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., so visitors should plan for an extended viewing.
Iki Kagura is considered an exceptionally sacred ritual performing art, with dancing and musical performance permitted only to Shinto priests.
At the venue, it is best to view the performance quietly and respectfully, in keeping with the setting for a kagura offering.
Nearby attractions
Nearby dining options listed include restaurants serving Iki beef and places specializing in sea urchin and seafood.
Nearby shrines include Sumiyoshi Shrine, Seibo-no-miya Shrine, Kumano Shrine, and Tsukiyomi Shrine.
Sumiyoshi Shrine, which is associated with Iki Kagura, is also listed as a nearby shrine.
壱岐市立一支国博物館
長崎県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
松永安左エ門記念館
長崎県壱岐市石田町にある人物記念館
Origins and History of Iki Kagura
A document from Eikyō 7 (1435) records the names of 25 kagura performers, showing that Iki Kagura was performed on Iki at least as far back as the Muromachi period.
It was later performed at the lord’s Okamado Festival, and its techniques were passed down through exchanges with shrine families in Hirado.
The shrine families of Iki revised the kagura songs, shaping a history of distinctive pieces and dance styles.
Official information
Details of the 2026 performance are available on Iki Tourism Navi under “Iki Daidaikagura Performance 2026.”
The phone number for the Iki Kagura Preservation Society (Sumiyoshi Shrine) is also listed on that page.
An overview of its cultural-property status can also be found in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of National Cultural Properties and Nagasaki Prefecture’s cultural property database.
Iki Kagura at a Glance
Iki Kagura is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property that has been performed at shrine festivals on Iki Island.
Its traditional repertoire comprises 37 pieces using ritual wands, halberds, swords, bows, and other implements, and is distinguished by dance styles unique to Iki.
On August 1, 2026, an approximately 6-hour Daidaikagura performance was held at Katsumoto-machi Fureai Center Kazahaya.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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