18. Buzen Kagura Matsuri: Buzen

Overview

Every five years there's a major kagura event in Buzen, Fukuoka Prefecture, at which the gods are entertained with performances of music and dancing. 24 well-known pieces are presented over the course of a two-day festival. In one, a figure wearing a demon mask climbs a ten-meter pole without a safety rope. Another depicts a Japanese myth about unison between heaven and earth. Children perform the same pieces, and this helps to preserve the local kagura tradition for future generations.