Elements
Nachi no Dengaku, a religious performing art held at the Nachi fire festival
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00000192 Country Japan ICH Domain Performing Arts Address Nachi no Dengaku is transmitted in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture. The town lies southeast of Wakayama Prefecture in central Honshu. A large part of the prefecture is the Kii Mountain Range, a mountainous area with 1000 - 2000m mountains spreading in every direction. The rough landscape is well developed, and because of that a form of deification emerged in ancient times, a belief that the mountains and waterfalls are gods or spiritual beings. After Buddhism was introduced people began to believe in the area as a place for Buddhist disciples. Nachi no Dengaku is a folk performing art with a deep connection to Kumano Sanzan, one of many sacred sites in the area that was established against such a historical background. It is performed on a special stage inside Kumano Nachi Shrine during annual festivities on July 14th.
| Description | achi no Dengaku is a performing art expressed by the local people through ritual dancing to flute music and beating drums to wish for an abundant harvest of rice crops. The repertoires, manner of dance and music have been fixed through its long tradition. In 1976 it was designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and is currently recognized as an important cultural heritage that represents trends in Japanese people's way of living. It is performed on a stage of approximately 4m square, temporarily installed during a festival in ""Kumano Nachi Taisha,"" a tutelage shrine in the region. The festival is known nationwide as the Nachi Fire Festival, and Nachi no Dengaku is recognised as an important tradition that is a key component of the festival. Nachi no Dengaku is performed by one flute player, 4 drummers with drums around their waists, 4 players of ""Binzasara,"" a musical instrument that is only used during Dengaku, and 2 others. The flute player performs at the side, while 8 to 10 performers appear on stage and dance in accordance with the drums and Binzasara. They change their formation in various ways, by swapping positions, dancing in a circle or symmetrically. There are 22 repertoires, each performed in 45 minutes. The Binzasara is 8cm by 2cm, 1cm thick and is made by stringing together around 70 wooden plates. The dancer holds each handle of the Binzasara, and dances while making a sound by moving the wooden plates like a wave. |
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| Social and cultural significance | Nachi no Dengaku has been transmitted against a backdrop of a belief in Kumano Sanzan, beginning with Kumano Nachi Shrine. The local people and transmitters respect and worship the shrine as a source of mental and spiritual comfort in their daily lives. Performing Nachi no Dengaku there smoothly each year during festivities is a duty, a responsibility, a huge joy and something that brings them a sense of spiritual well-being. Nachi no Dengaku is acknowledged as a necessary performing art at the festival so transmitting and performing it in line with people's expectations is, for the transmitters, an important occasion to reacknowledge the significance of their own existence. Kumano Sanzan is a sacred area representative of Japan. The fire festival in which Nachi no Dengaku is performed functions both inside and outside the region as a symbol of the area. The local people and transmitters perform Nachi no Dengaku, take part in the fire festival, and watch. This increases their sense of belonging and strengthens bonds within the community. Nachi no Dengaku must be performed regularly as part of the shrine's festivities to pray for a good harvest. Behind this is the Japanese people's belief in the God of the rice fields (the main staple dish of the Japanese being rice). Transmitting Nachi no Dengaku allows even more Japanese people, supporting regions and societies, and the Preservation Association that directly transmits Nachi no Dengaku, to further deepen their understanding of Japanese society and culture. |
| Transmission method | Records show that Nachi no Dengaku ended twice. The first was in 1581, when all costumes and equipment were destroyed by fire, leaving no choice but to bring things to an end, but in 1599 Nachi no Dengaku was revived through the efforts of those involved. The second time was after the expulsion of Buddhism from Japan during the Meiji Restoration, but local requests and the strong insistence of experts revived Nachi no Dengaku in 1921. Although it stopped, the equipment was saved thanks to those involved, and luckily a flute expert could remember the dances and flute music, so revival was possible. In line with this, masters who had taught Nachi no Dengaku made records in writing for certain transmission. They are housed in Kumano Nachi Shrine even today, and are being transmitted as an important material. The Association for the Preservation of Nachi Dengaku was established in 1921 and became a Preservation Association following the designation of Nachi no Dengaku as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1976. Practises are held in Kumano Nachi Shrine, one month before July 14th when Nachi no Dengaku is performed. As the Association members work, practices are held in the evening after work. Every year the Association films and photographs its public performances at the festival for their practices. The Association is also working towards better ways of transmitting by actively participating in Wakayama Prefecture's Folk Performing Arts Festival to motivate transmitters, and increasing the amount of practices. |
| Community | Those who transmit Nachi no Dengaku are members of the Association for the Preservation of Nachi Dengaku who have acquired the art and perform it to the public. The Association was identified as a preservation organization when Nachi no Dengaku was designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1976 based on the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. At Kumano Nachi Shrine where Nachi no Dengaku is performed are religious professionals, responsible for offering an opportunity and place to perform Nachi no Dengaku to the public. The local people attend public performances of Nachi no Dengaku, and offer financial support such as donations to the Preservation Association or to Kumano Nachi Shrine. Wakayama Prefecture and Nachikatsuura Town hold exchanges with transmitters and those at Kumano Nachi Shrine, and transmit Nachi no Dengaku by offering guidance and assistance to solve any problems or issues relating to transmission. Nachi no Dengaku is currently performed and transmitted by the Association for the Preservation of Nachi Dengaku. The head of the Association and some of the members are Shinto priests at Kumano Nachi Shrine, but in principle the Association consists of residents and natives of Nachisanku where Kumano Nachi Shrine is based. Originally the Association members were mainly groups of young men living in Nachisanku but as the number of young people in the area has recently decreased, OBs from the young mens' groups, or Nachisanku natives who have moved to the neighbourhood have become members, and are helping to transmit the element. There are currently 60 members, men in their 30s to 70s. Many work as businessmen in companies, or are owners (or owners' family members) of souvenir shops for tourists. The flute, drum and Binzasara all have key roles in Nachi no Dengaku, and Association members who also transmit the element must know how to play them. Drummers will become drum teachers, and those who played the Binsazara will go on to become instructors. Because the flute is difficult to master, there is one Shinto priest on hand at Kumano Nachi Shrine who has experience performing Gagaku, a traditional type of Japanese music. Nachi no Dengaku is performed during the Nachi Fire Festival. 12 giant torches attract the most attention and can only be carried by Association members. Those who transmit Nachi no Dengaku have an important responsibility in supporting the festival as well. |
| Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2012 |