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| 1.Prayers are recited before
the performances dedicated to gods |
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| 2.Prayers asking
for divine protection are recited to the shishi |
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| 3.The shishi
standing on his hind legs. Dynamic movements are
distinctive features in this shishi
performance |
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| 4.The shishi
performance on stage |
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Lion-dances are widely performed at many area harvest festivals
and rituals to dispel evil spirits. At harvest festivals, it
is believed to bring fertility and prosperity to the community
and held as the first program on stage to purify the site where
the festival is held.
Lion-dances on the main island and nearby islands are usually
enacted solo, while the Miyako and Yaeyama Island performers
pair up. The duo performers handle the head and body while
another person rouses and teases the lion to dance. The lion
is accompanied with music using instruments such as gongs,
drums, flutes and conch horns. The head of the lion is made
from relatively light wood by using deigo (Erythrina orientalis
(L.) Merr.) trees. The body uses fiber-woven cords and basho
(banana family) and choma (ramie) fibers dyed in light-brown
plant dyes for the fur which covers the body.
Here at Jitchaku, the lion-dance is held under the full moon
of August 15 of the lunar calendar at the local community
center.
Designation: National Selected Cultural
Property
Registration Owner or Holder: Jitchaku Association for Lion-Dance
Preservation
Photo Courtesy of: OCN Contents Consortium |
