Japanese traditions are shared with the University

Marcy Diaz/Columnist

Hailing from the Shimane prefecture of western Japan, four coiling serpents, a daring god of the storm and a candy-throwing fishing god shared an ancient Japanese tradition with University students and faculty.

In Iwami Kagura Shinwa-Kai’s theatrical performance “Iwami Kagura,” 13 community performers and musicians took center stage Sept. 21 in Graham Center on the second floor, to recount two of Japan’s oldest tales of stirring comedy and vengeful rivalry.

First performed by priests as a token of appreciation for the Shinto gods, Kagura is an energetic form of dance that has been handed down to the common people of Japan for generations. This popular pastime has evolved throughout history and resulted in different regional theater styles.  “Iwami Kagura,” known for its eye-catching costumes and pulsating music, is indigenous to Shimane, the “land of gods.”

With the collaborative help of the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami, the Japan Foundation, and the University’s Department of Modern Languages and the Asian Studies Program, students and faculty experienced, what the Masuda City Office of Industry and Commerce called in a brochure, “the heart of Japan through the spirit of dance.”

-marcy.diaz@fiusm.com

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