荒巻番楽
"It is clear that Aramaki Bangaku includes acrobatic movements that are extremely difficult to master. The fact that these complex techniques are performed not by adults but by adolescents makes it all the more remarkable. "
-Mizuka Shimoyama
Yashima battle dance, a stage of Aramaki bangaku (Public relations department of Akita city, 2001)
https://www.city.akita.akita.jp/city/pl/pb/koho/htm/20010713/7-13-19.html
Yashima battle dance, a stage of Aramaki bangaku (Public relations department of Akita city, 2001)
https://www.city.akita.akita.jp/city/pl/pb/koho/htm/20010713/7-13-19.html
Aramaki-bangaku is a unique form of bangaku, which is performed in the sequence of shishimai. This is the only bangaku in northern Akita. This bangaku has twice diminished, but recovered and been performed today.
Location: Akita city, kamikitate Aramaki
The overall history of bangaku dates back to the 14th century. In the Kamikita-Aramaki area, it is said to have originated in the 17th century when the community received a lion head from Meigakuin in Ohhira. Around the 18th century, a decline in bangaku as a whole was observed.
In the 19th century, bangaku was passed down to the Kamikita-Aramaki area by immigrants from Oyamada, marking the beginning of Aramaki Bangaku.
After overcoming the theft of the lion head and a period of discontinuity in the 1950s, Aramaki Bangaku was revived in 1974 by the local organization “sounen-kai” and has continued to this day.
(Board of education of Yuri-Honjo city & Board of education of Nikaho city, 2019)
Aramaki-bangaku is famous for its acrobatic performance. It consists of three roles: dancer, musician, and mantra. The songs that dancers perform have changed. They used to perform “bushi-mai [the soldier dance],” “tori-mai [the bird dance],” “soga-kyodai [the famous story of vengeance by the Soga brothers],” etc. They currently focus on “shishimai [the dance inspired by the lion mask 'shishigashira'],” featuring songs such as “tsuyubarai-no-mai [the dance of the person who leads the march],” “Ushiwaka-benkei [the story of Minamoto no Yoshitsune in his adolescence],” etc. The bangaku is now performed in public centers.
Aramaki bangaku (AkitaMinzokuGeino, 2012)
Yamaya bangaku (Hiruta, 2020)
Yamayabangakugohyakunen [Five hundred history of Yamaya bangaku]
Bangaku is a form of religious performance, “kagura,” which has been performed by monks living in the mountains (“yamabushi”). The performance includes dance and instrumental performances. The name “bangaku” is unique to the Akita and northern Yamagata regions. The performance proceeds with a fixed set of songs and subsequently features songs that cater to the specific audience and location.
This is played with “taiko” [Japanese drum], “shou” [percussion], and “fue” [flute]. Both the roles of dancers and musicians have been passed down within each family. The first day of performance is called “maku-biraki,” and the last day is called “maku-osame.”
[Japanese Only]
A party of Bangaku in Taihei yamaya noda area in Akita city. This bangaku is based on rituals in Shintoism.
[Japanese Only]
A party of Bangaku in Yuwa, Kayagasawa, in Akita city. This bangaku combines two types of dance: bangakumai [bangaku dance] and shishimai [dance inspired by the lion mask "Shishigashira"].
Mizuka Shimoyama
Photo by Saki Tsukada
In Aramaki Bangaku, you can see intense battle scenes using sticks and a powerful performance in which two dancers spin together while holding onto each other. These high-level, physically demanding techniques—refined through rigorous practice—are truly breathtaking when performed by two young boys.
I dance as a hobby myself, and it is clear that Aramaki Bangaku includes acrobatic movements that are extremely difficult to master. The fact that these complex techniques are performed not by adults but by adolescents makes it all the more remarkable.
The music, characterized by a fast tempo and the strong, resonant sound of the drums that match the atmosphere of the battle, further enhances the wild, powerful, and dynamic presence of the stage. Amid this fierce atmosphere created by the musicians, I would love to see up close how the young performers display both grace and strength in their dance.
Mizuka Shimoyama
[Japanese only]
A stage of Aramaki Bangaku, recorded as a part of the Research project on traditional folk performance in Akita prefecture.
"Yashima battle dance"
[Japanese only]
A stage of Aramaki Bangaku, recreating the famous battle at Yashima between Genji and Heishi.
Agency for cultural affairs. (2023a). Aramaki Bangaku – Akita Minzoku Geinō Archives [Aramaki Bangaku – Akita Folk Performing Arts Archives]. Akita-Minzoku-Geino.jp. https://www.akita-minzoku-geino.jp/archives/ja/610/
Agency for cultural affairs. (2023b). Shishimai & Bangaku – Akita Minzoku Geinō Archives [Shishimai & Bangaku – Akita Folk Performing Arts Archives]. Akita-Minzoku-Geino.jp. https://www.akita-minzoku-geino.jp/archives/ja/shishimai/
AkitaMinzokuGeino. (2012, February 20). Aramakibangaku. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXp4R4H4Umw
Board of education of Yuri-Honjo city, & Board of education of Nikaho city. (2019). Kuni kiroku sentaku mukei minzoku bunkazai chosa hokokusho chokai-zan hokuroku no shishimai bangaku [Survey Report on Intangible Folk Cultural Properties Selected by the National Government: Shishimai Bangaku of the Northern Foothills of Mount Chōkai].
Hiruta. (2020, Feburaru 1). Five Centuries of Yamaya Bangaku. Akita International Haiku Network. Yamayabangakugohyakunen [Five hundred years history of Yamaya bangaku]
Public relation department of Akita city. (2001). Minzoku geinou godo happyokai [The show of traditional local arts]. Akita.jp. https://www.city.akita.akita.jp/city/pl/pb/koho/htm/20010713/7-13-19.html
