Ten kagura dances solemnly color the dawn in Usuki
Miwaryu Usuki Kagura
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Held as a shrine event mainly around the New Year / Every year
- Area
- Oita Prefecture・Usuki City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Miwaryu Usuki is passed down at shrines in the Usuki area. Its quiet dances with ritual implements and ten pieces preserve the ancient form of a religious rite.
About Miwaryu Usuki Kagura
Miwaryu Usuki Kagura is a form of kagura passed down in the Usuki area of Oita Prefecture.
It is performed at Yasaka Shrine and other shrines in the city, and is also associated with ceremonies to welcome the New Year before the deities.
At Daijingu Shrine, it is sometimes performed by the light of a bonfire, creating a solemn atmosphere befitting a religious rite.
It is one of Usuki’s representative folk performing arts and is designated an Oita Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Source: 三輪神楽 | 臼杵市役所 / 県指定【無形文化財・有形民俗文化財・無形民俗文化財・史跡・天然記念物】 | 臼杵市役所
Festival highlights
A highlight is the quiet, solemn movements of the dancers as they perform holding ritual implements in both hands.
The performance consists of ten pieces, and “Henbei” features distinctive footwork in which the dancers stamp firmly on the ground.
You can also look out for how the costumes, implements, and number of performers vary by piece, including “Shiba-hiki” and “Tsunakiri.”
At Daijingu Shrine, bonfire light illuminates the dance.
Source: 大分民俗芸能まつり（1/24） - iichiko総合文化センター
Ten kagura dances solemnly color the dawn in Usuki
What to expect
After the New Year’s festival is held before the deities, kagura begins in the dance hall.
The ten pieces are “Shiba-iri,” “Iza,” “Tachi,” “Shogo,” “Okami,” “Henbei,” “Shiten,” “Kumono,” “Shiba-hiki,” and “Tsunakiri.”
Each piece features different costumes, ritual implements, and numbers of performers, and at some shrines the dances are presented by bonfire light.
The tradition of shrine kagura performed by priests continues to this day.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Address
Usuki City
Host municipality 大分県臼杵市
This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.
Dates and season
In the Usuki area, New Year festivals and kagura are held before the kami each year around the time of the New Year.
The dances are performed at Yasaka Shrine and other shrines in the city; the prefectural information also lists June 15 and December 1 among the dates on which they are held.
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 Oita Prefecture / Usuki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
臼杵市歴史資料館
大分県臼杵市にある博物館
野上弥生子文学記念館
大分県臼杵市にある文学記念館
Origins and History of Miwaryu Usuki Kagura
The origins of Miwaryu Usuki Kagura are unclear, but the *Jishako* records that a shrine relocation ceremony and Henbei Kagura were held at Hirasimizu Tenjin in Genroku 13.
According to information from Usuki City, it has a history of at least 280 years.
Within the city, the Nakausuki, Maeda, and Kumazaki kagura groups have been involved in passing it down. Maeda Gakuyukai began after its members attended training at Yasaka Shrine in the early Showa period.
Following a survey in Showa 53, it was designated an Oita Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Showa 55.
Official information
Usuki City Hall’s “Miwa Kagura” information page provides details on when the kagura is performed, its pieces, and how the tradition was passed down.
Miwaryu Usuki Kagura is listed as an Oita Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property in the prefecture’s list of designated cultural properties.
Miwaryu Usuki Kagura at a Glance
Miwaryu Usuki Kagura is an Oita Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property passed down at shrines in the Usuki area.
Across its ten pieces, you can see quiet, solemn dances performed with ritual implements, as well as the distinctive footwork of Henbei.
While it is associated with religious rites to welcome the New Year, some shrines also preserve the distinctive sight of dances illuminated by bonfire light.
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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