Daidai Kagura Ritual 太々神楽

Daidai Kagura, a designated Intangible Cultural Property of Tokyo, is a traditional ritual that is performed before Shinto deities. Legend says that this ritual, which takes place at Shinagawa-jinja Shrine, originated with an offering by Tokugawa Ieyasu to pray for victory before the famous Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Today, dancers wearing masks passed down since the Edo period (1603-1867) perform to 12 tunes played by master musicians. As part of the shrine's annual spring festival, six dance numbers will be performed, including the Shihohai-no-mai Dance and the Inari-no-mai Dance.