https://www.city.akita.lg.jp/kanko/kanrenshisetsu/1003644/1018030.html 

Historical Background

Hanekawa Kenbayashi is a traditional festival music in Shimohama-hanekawa, Akita city, Akita.  

Approximately 430 years ago, during the Tenshō period (1573-1591), a military leader named Hanekawa Kotarō captured the Ōmagari castle.  For this celebration party, he danced, swinging a sword, and handed out a silver Japanese fan to the attendees, and encouraged them to dance. This is said to be the beginning of the festival.  Later, sword dancing gradually died out over time, and only fan dancing continued to be passed down by women.

The graceful dance performed by women and girls, accompanied by music and fans, has been passed down as "Hagawa Kenbayashi." It is now presented at the annual festival of the local shrine and during the Bon Festival, with prayers for a good harvest and the safety of the community. Today, the hanekawa sword dance is performed and learned at local school to preserve it.

In 1979, the Hanekawa Kenbayashi was designated as an intangible folk cultural asset of Akita City.

Characteristics

The performance consists of three parts. The dance part, the drum part, and the flute part. Maite (dancers) are mainly women, but men can still participate in the performance. Women Maite dance with the gold and silver fan wearing a white robe and a navy hakama skirt. Men Maite dance with the sword wearing a black robe and a silver hakama skirt. The musical instrument part uses the different sizes of Japanese drums, Japanese flutes, and a hand drum. 

Direct voice from the editor

Through this digital archive project, I realized that Akita has far more traditional performing arts than the well-known Kanto Festival. Researching Hanekawa Kenbayashi taught me that it is one of the cultural traditions Akita City values and continues to pass down, especially through activities at local schools. 

I belong to the Kanto Team at my university and have participated in the Kanto Festival as a taiko performer. Therefore, it made me feel a sense of familiarity with Hanekawa Kenbayashi as well, since it also features hayashi music. In the Kanto Festival, the Sashite [male performers] take center stage, whereas in Hanekawa Kenbayashi, the Hayashi [mainly female performers] themselves play the leading role. It is also notable that women play the main role in this tradition, which is particularly rare given the historical context of women's social position in earlier periods in Japan. 

Learning about both the similarities and differences between the Kanto Festival and Hanekawa Kenbayashi allowed me to appreciate the Akita's diverse culture. As Akita faces declining population and rapid aging, I hope this website helps bring greater awareness to Hanekawa Kenbayashi and other traditional performing arts that continue to shape the Akita's identity.

To know more

References

Akita City. (2021, September 20). Akita shi no minzoku geinou ni tuite [About Folk Culture Art]. https://www.city.akita.lg.jp/kanko/kanrenshisetsu/1003644/1018030.html

Akita City. (2010, March 5). Hankawa Kenbayashi. https://www.city.akita.akita.jp/city/pl/pb/koho/htm/20100305/030508.html 

Akita City. (n.d.). Shimohama chiku no dentou bunka [Traditional Culture of the Shimohama District]. https://www.city.akita.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/027/018/dentokennbayashi.pdf

Akita International University. (n.d.). Hanekawa Kenbayashi-Akita minzoku geino aa kaibuzu [Hanekawa Kenbayashi Akita Folk Culture Art Archives]. https://www.akita-minzoku-geino.jp/archives/ja/35/

AkitaMinzokuGeino. (2012, February 20). Shimohama Kenbayashi [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/vJ92_Eh1Fxc

AkitaMinzokuGeino. (2012, February 20). Hanekawa Kenbayashi [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/kq4S_cOEBal

Yukisada Inamura. (2021, January 21). Akita ken no minzoku geinou, densho no kufuu to ha? [What are the creative methods behind Akita's folk performing arts and traditions?]. https://omatsurijapan.com/blog/minzokugeinou-akita/