Yamadera’s Ennen: preserving kouta dances, bugaku performed by children, and kagura
Nenchi Yamadera no Ennen
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Location
- Hiyoshi Shrine
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 h 10 min · bullet train)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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Nenchi Yamadera no Ennen is a traditional performing art presented at the Hiyoshi Shrine festival, combining performed by children, kouta dances, and dances. Locally, it is also called “Oteteko-mai.”
About Nenchi Yamadera no Ennen
Nenchi Yamadera no Ennen is a folk performing art presented at the festival of Hiyoshi Shrine in Yamadera, a district in Niigata Prefecture.
Locally, it is also called “Oteteko-mai,” and combines kouta dances, kagura dances, and other performances in the style of Ennen, with bugaku performed by children at its center.
A defining feature of this festival is that it brings together a variety of performing arts in a single performance.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
A highlight is the program, in which different types of dance are performed one after another.
The kouta dances include Tsuyu no Odori, Ogi Odori, and Wakashu Odori, while the bugaku performances by children include Kagami no Mai, Hana no Mai, and Hoko no Mai.
The program then moves on to kagura dances such as Tane-maki and Shime no Mai, followed by manzai and , offering a chance to experience a wide variety of performing arts at once.
Yamadera’s Ennen: preserving kouta dances, bugaku performed by children, and kagura
What to expect
The performance begins with Kurui no Mai, a dance to clear the way.
This is followed by 6 kouta dances and 4 bugaku performances by children, before moving on to kagura dances, manzai, and lion dances.
Songs and dances, bugaku performed by children, kagura, and lion dances are woven into a single program, making it enjoyable to compare the different performances.
Source: 根知山寺の延年 文化遺産オンライン
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hiyoshi Shrine, Yamadera, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture.
Event venue 新潟県 日吉神社
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Official information
The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties features Nenchi Yamadera no Ennen as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
An explanation with the same title is also available on Cultural Heritage Online.
Nenchi Yamadera no Ennen at a Glance
Nenchi Yamadera no Ennen is a traditional folk performing art presented at the festival of Hiyoshi Shrine in Yamadera.
The performances include kouta dances, also called Oteteko-mai, bugaku performed by children, kagura dances, manzai, and lion dances, presented in sequence.
Its main highlight is the combination of diverse dances and performing arts in a single performance.
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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