* Book Title: Shinshu's Performing Arts * Editor: Shinano Mainichi Shimbun Editorial Department * Publisher: Shinano Mainichi Shimbun * Publication Date: 1974 * Page Count: 206 pages 《Table of Contents》 ◉ Southern Shinshu Sakabe Winter Festival Niino Snow Festival Ina Bushi Hiyoshi no Okuwa Festival Kuroda Ningyo (Puppets) Oshika Village Kabuki Wago Nenbutsu Odori (Buddhist Chanting Dance) Niino Bon Odori (Bon Dance) Kurebakki Odori Toyama Shimotsuki Festival Okouchi Annual Festival Imada Ningyo (Puppets) Yamadera no Yakimochi Odori Oshimo-yama Lion Dance Shimoguri no Kake Odori Waseda Ningyo (Puppets) Kitaide no Tengu and Lion ◉ Northern Shinshu Amamiya no Goshinjinji (Sacred Ritual) Nobe Nenbutsu Odori Matsushiro no Daimon Odori Karasu Odori (Crow Dance) Tokura no Hyotto Imai no Okesa Kashiwabara no Okesa Itsutsuka no Tatata Kagura Sensei Odori Satsuma Odori Kitagawa Lion Dance Yotsuyama no Ken no Mai (Sword Dance) ◉ Eastern Shinshu Nijugō Bosatsu Raigōe (Twenty-Five Bodhisattvas' Arrival Ceremony) Saitorisashi Shinano Oiwake Atobe Odori Nenbutsu Kitsusawa Ningyo Sanbasō Take no Nobori (Climbing the Mountain) Yuhara Shrine Shikisanban Naramoto Ōkagura Sasara Odori Hono no Gion Matsuri Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine Shishi Kyogen (Lion Play) Saitorisashi Kariyazawa Sakabame (Start of Planting) Kurokawa Harukoma (Spring Horse) Omiya Atsuta Shrine Annual Festival Bonbon Suwara Baneso Omachi Summer Festival ◉ Central Shinshu Komagatake Shrine Tatata Kagura Kiso Bushi, Kiso Odori Otari Ōmiya no Shinji (Sacred Ritual) Nishina Shinmei Shrine Kagura The Present and Future of Shinshu's Performing Arts (Haruo Misumi) "Yurai" (Origin) Imada Ningyo, Waseda Ningyo, Kuroda Ningyo. These records of puppet theater in the Ina Valley describe the roots of "nerimono" (molded figures) and "kibori" (wood carvings) that were once made as side jobs in villages and are now extinct, as well as small substitute dolls for festivals. The raw living conditions of the time, when doll hair was made by "pulling out grass from the fields and beating it," are described. This book is recommended for those interested in the roots of Japan's ancient beliefs and festival culture, and the indigenous energy that handmade folk toys possessed. 《Tengu, Lions, and Oni (Demons)》 In sections like "Kitaide no Tengu and Lion" and "Oshimo-yama Lion Dance," the "living forms" of Tengu and lions, popular motifs for toys, are captured. Old carved Tengu masks and lion heads made of layers of Japanese paper. What colors did they wear, and in what blizzards did they dance? Photographs of these will serve as valuable resources. Sections such as "Nijugō Bosatsu Raigōe" and "Atobe Odori Nenbutsu" provide clues for exploring the background of small clay dolls that were once distributed at temples and shrines, and "hinerimono" (twisted figures) as good luck charms. The book includes a contribution by Haruo Misumi, an authority on folk performing arts research, titled "The Present and Future of Shinshu's Performing Arts." #FolkToys #Witchcraft #BizarreFestivals #PuppetTheater #PeasantKabuki #LionDance