Children’s bugaku and traditional dances passed down through Yahiko’s Shinto rites
Yahiko Shrine’s bugaku
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- They are performed at various Shinto rites and regular performances from January through October. / It is performed several times a year in conjunction with Shinto rites, with regular performances also held from spring through fall.
- Location
- Yahiko Shrine
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Yahiko Village(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.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Yahiko Shrine’s is a traditional performing art performed at Shinto rites in Yahiko Village. Kamikagura, Tenkemma, Daidai , and Ko-Kagura have been passed down through generations. The Lantern Festival is known for its children’s dances and procession of giant lanterns.
About Yahiko Shrine’s bugaku
Yahiko Shrine’s bugaku is a folk performing art handed down in Yahiko Village, Niigata Prefecture.
Kamikagura, Tenkemma, Daidai Kagura, and Ko-Kagura are collectively called bugaku. They are performed at special rites, including major and minor festivals at Yahiko Shrine.
This art form includes elements of children’s bugaku found across the Hokuriku region and has been passed down in connection with shrine festivals.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
Highlights include the procession around the shrine and distinctive dances performed in the .
During the Lantern Festival, giant lanterns collide as people push them forward in the Lantern Pushing event. This is followed by performances of Kamikagura and Tenkemma, a dance performed while wearing a lion mask.
Some dances are performed by children around 9 years old, offering a close-up look at their distinctive style.
Source: 彌彦神社燈籠おしと舞楽｜文化デジタルライブラリー
Children’s bugaku and traditional dances passed down through Yahiko’s Shinto rites
What to expect
Bugaku is performed not just as part of a single event, but in conjunction with several Shinto rites.
Ko-Kagura is performed at the Night Banquet Rite in January and the Shrine Procession Rite in February; the full repertoire of Daidai Kagura is performed at the Tsumado Okami Festival in April; and Kamikagura and Tenkemma are performed at the Lantern Festival in July.
From spring through fall, regular performances of Daidai Kagura are also held every Saturday, and Ko-Kagura every Sunday.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Held at Yahiko Shrine in Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture.
Address Yahiko Shrine, Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture
Dates and season
Bugaku is performed at events including the Night Banquet Ritual in January, the Shrine Procession Ritual in February, the Tsumado Okami on April 18, and the Lantern Ritual on July 25.
From spring to early summer and from early autumn through autumn, Daidaikagura is also performed on Saturdays and Kogagura on Sundays.
Ceremonies associated with the Lantern Ritual continue from July 18 through the 26th.
Source: 彌彦神社舞楽、燈籠神事、宝物｜名所・史跡｜弥彦村
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 Niigata Prefecture / Yahiko Village (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Yahiko Shrine
新潟県弥彦村にある神社
Origins and History of Yahiko Shrine’s bugaku
The exact origins and date of establishment of Yahiko Shrine’s bugaku are unknown, but Kamikagura is said to be a dance performed by the deity Yahiko Okami at the grand ceremony for the enthronement of Emperor Jimmu.
Kamikagura and Tenkemma have been performed at the Lantern Festival as secret dances passed down exclusively at this shrine.
In 1971, they were selected as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property for which measures such as documentation should be undertaken, in recognition of their value to the history of performing arts.
Official information
Yahiko Village describes bugaku and the Lantern Festival as Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties and the Cultural Digital Library provide information on the composition of the bugaku dances, the Shinto rites at which they are performed, and a list of dates.
A telephone number for the Tourism and Commerce Section of Yahiko Village’s Industry Department is also provided as a contact.
Yahiko Shrine’s bugaku at a Glance
Yahiko Shrine’s bugaku is a traditional performing art of Yahiko Village comprising Kamikagura, Tenkemma, Daidai Kagura, and Ko-Kagura.
It is performed in conjunction with various Shinto rites. The Lantern Festival is especially known for performances of Kamikagura and Tenkemma alongside the procession of giant lanterns and the pushing of lanterns.
Passed down as an art form that includes elements of children’s bugaku, it has been preserved alongside local festivals.
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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