Core Kyoto S11E14 - Kuta Hanagasa Dance: The Solid Bonds of a Rural Community
Core Kyoto (2013)
S11E14 Kuta Hanagasa Dance: The Solid Bonds of a Rural Community
Episode Overview
In 2022, UNESCO recognized forty-one traditional folk dances from Japan as part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Among them is the Kuta Hanagasa Dance, celebrated in a rural area at the northern edge of Kyoto city. Each summer, local men craft flower lanterns by hand, which are used in the ritual. They sing and dance to the beat of drums, expressing gratitude to the deities for a bountiful harvest. Explore the daily lives of the Kuta villagers and observe their preparations for this meaningful ceremony.