【上椎葉神楽】
  上椎葉神楽が継承されている宮崎県椎葉村下福良地区（しもふくらちく）上椎葉は、急峻（きゅうしゅん）な九州山地に抱かれた椎葉村の中心地にある。鎮守社（ちんじゅしゃ）の椎葉厳島（いつくしま）神社は、元久（げんきゅう）元年（1204）、平家の遺臣（いしん）が隠れ住んだ際に、安芸（あき）の厳島神社を勧請（かんじょう）したと伝え、平家の守護神である市杵島姫命（いちきしまひめのみこと）・素戔嗚命（すさのおのみこと）を御祭神（ごさいじん）とする。椎葉厳島神社の境内地には椎葉民俗芸能博物館が建ち、村内26の地区で伝わる神楽などの民俗芸能だけでなく、四季折々の村での暮らしや、平家滅亡にまつわる古文書、また、広くアジアの民俗芸能にも触れることができる。隣接する国指定重要文化財である那須家（なすけ）住宅、通称「鶴富屋敷（つるとみやしき）」は、平家の鶴富姫（つるとみひめ）と源氏の那須の大八郎宗久（なすのだいはちろうむねひさ）との悲恋物語で有名であり、平安時代の寝殿造形式（しんでんづくりけいしき）を今に伝える。付近には日本のアーチ式ダムの先駆けである「上椎葉ダム」がある。
  村内外から歴史や文化、雄大な自然景観を求めた観光客が多い土地である。上椎葉神楽には、狩猟や焼畑などの山岳地帯独特の民俗文化が信仰と結びついて取り込まれている。寛永（かんえい）年間（1624～1644）頃に使用されたと伝わる神楽面が鶴富屋敷に保管されており、その歴史を実証している。昭和23年(1948)11月、神楽宿の火災により、神楽に関する古文書や道具類が焼失し、一時は中絶を余儀なくされたが、昭和47年(1972)には原型のままの夜神楽を復活することができた。現在は、公民館や鶴富屋敷を神楽宿とし、夜を徹した神楽を奉納している。
  令和５年(2023)３月現在、神楽保存会には27名が在籍しており、子どもたちはもとより学校の先生にも神楽に参加してもらい数番を舞ってもらうなど、地域を上げて意欲的に伝承活動に取り組んでいる。

【Kamishiiba Kagura】
Kamishiiba, where the Kamishiiba kagura has been passed down, is located in the Shimofukura district, surrounded by the steep Kyushu mountains, in the center of the village of Shiiba, Miyazaki Prefecture. Shiiba Itsukushima Shrine was built in the first year of the Genkyū era (1204), when surviving retainers of the Heike clan were living in hiding.
Connected to the Itsukushima Shrine in Aki (today’s Hiroshima), it is said that the tutelary deities of this shrine were ceremonially transferred to Shiiba and the gods Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto and Susa-no-o-no-mikoto are enshrined there together. Within the grounds of the Shiiba Itsukushima Shrine stands the Shiiba Folk Entertainment Museum, where folk entertainment from the 26 districts of the village such as kagura are exhibited alongside the life of the village throughout the seasons and historical documents related to the downfall of the Heike clan and is a place one can experience a wide range of folk entertainment from Asia. The adjacent Nasu Family Residence, commonly known as the ‘Tsurutomi yashiki’, is a Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property, famous as the setting of the tragic love story between Tsurutomi-hime of the Heike clan and Daihachiro Munehisa Nasu of the Genji clan, and is built in the shinden-zukuri style (a manner of Heian era palatial architecture) that remains to this day. Also nearby is the Kamishiiba Dam, one of Japan’s leading arch-type dams.
The area attracts many tourists from inside and outside the village seeking history, culture, and magnificent natural scenery. Kamishiiba kagura captures the connection between folk culture unique to the mountain districts such as hunting and slash and burn farming with faith and reverence. A kagura mask said to have been used during the Kan’ei era (1624-1644) is stored in the ‘Tsurutomi yashiki’ and is evidence of the long history. In November 1948 (23rd year of the Shōwa era), a fire at the kagura-yado (kagura performance venue) destroyed many ancient documents and artifacts related to the kagura, so unavoidably for some time the kagura performances had to be suspended. However, in 1972 (47th year of the Shōwa era), the yokagura (night kagura) was successfully revived based on the original model. Currently, the public hall and ‘Tsurutomi yashiki’ are used as kagura-yado, and kagura are performed throughout the night.
As of March 2023, the Kagura Preservation Society has 27 registered members, who, through encouraging children as well as schoolteachers to participate in kagura and perform several dances, are enthusiastically working on passing down traditional activities and raising the local community.