詳細

小崎・川の口神楽(こざき・かわのくちかぐら) Kozaki KawanokuchiKagura

15分版 15min

2時間版 2hrs

【小崎・川の口神楽】
  小崎・川の口(こざき・かわのくち)神楽は、椎葉村南部の山間地を流れる小崎川沿いの高台に位置する、小崎神社(こざきじんじゃ)の例祭にて奉納される。小崎神社の創建は文久2年(1862)と伝わり、小崎・川の口集落にはかつて数多くの祠があったが、明治の頃にその多くが小崎神社に合祀され、社殿内部には小神像40体ほどが安置されている。合祀を嫌った神様がいて現在も個々の場所に祀られており、祭典前には氏子により御幣(ごへい)が供えられる。小崎と川の口は、昔は別々に神楽を行っていたが合祀後は一緒に開催されるようになった。
  平成20年前半に小崎神社舞殿が改築され、その際には「鬼神(きじん)」が奉納された。小崎と川の口は、舞姿が少し異なっている。祝子(ほうりこ)は20数名おり、以前は「一神楽」から「稲荷神楽」までの八番については、小崎と川の口それぞれが同じ演目を舞い、全三十三番であったが、現在は同じ演目を繰り返さず、年度替わりで舞う。
  「お布替え(おきぬがえ)」と呼ばれる神事では、宮司と祝子数人が小崎神社本殿にあがり、合祀された御神体(ごしんたい)の白い紙の衣を着せ替える。この時に供えられる御供(ごく)は板の上に並べられたアオキの葉の上に一夜御酒(いちやごしい)をかけたご飯と、切餅を乗せたものである。準備の間、お布替えの歌が月の数、繰り返し唱えられる。

【Kozaki Kawanokuchi Kagura】
Kozaki-Kawanokuchi Kagura is held during the annual festival at Kozaki Shrine, which is located on a hilltop along the Kozaki River that winds through the mountainous south within Shiiba Village. Kozaki Shrine is said to have been built in 1862. Although there were numerous small shrines in the Kozaki-Kawanoguchi Village in early years, many of them merged into Kozaki Shrine in the Meiji Period, and approximately 40 small statues of deities are nested inside the shrine hall.
The deities that did not jointhe merger are still enshrined in their shrines respectively and adorned with paper streamers by the parishioners prior to the rituals. Previously, Kozaki and Kawanokuchi held kagura separately, but since the merger, they have been hosting it together.
The special “Kijin” act was presented when the concert hall in Kozaki Shrine was renovated in 2008. Kagura in Kozaki and Kawanokuchi exhibit slightly different styles. There are more than 20 performers in total, and previously they danced the first eight acts in Kozaki and Kawanokuchi separately. Currently, they do not repeat the same acts but take turns every year.
The “Okinugae” ritual involves the priest and several performers entering the main shrine hall to change into the white paper clothes that are used in wrapping the statues of the local deities. Offerings during this time of the year consist of square rice cakes and cooked rice that is soaked in ichiyagoshii sake, which are plated on a wooden board decorated with Japanese laurel leaves. The Okinugae song will be repeated twelve times throughout the preparation for the ritual.