Gujo Dance

Japanese: 郡上踊 - ぐじょうおどり

Bon Odori is danced for 32 nights every year in Yahata-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture, during the four-day Bon period from August 13th to 16th. It is said to have started in the Edo period when the feudal lord encouraged neighboring Bon Odori dancers to gather in the castle town and dance without any formalities during the four days of Bon to promote harmony between the samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants. It has been going on for about 400 years. It started with the Odori Origin Festival on July 15th and ended on September 9th, but today the Odori Origin Festival is held on a Saturday in mid-July, and the last dance is on a Saturday in early September. During the four days of Bon, all-night dancing is done from 8:00 night to around 5:00 the next morning, and festival dancing is done to coincide with festivals and events in each area. There are ten dance pieces: "Kocho Kawasaki," "Kawasaki," "Sanbyaku," "Harukoma," "Yachiku," "Gengen Barabara," "Neko no Ko," "Jinku," "Sawagi," and "Matsusaka." Anyone can participate in the dance. During the all-night dance, members of the dance preservation association judge the general dancers and hand out wooden tags to skilled dancers, which can later be exchanged for a license. There is also a costume dance, where dancers wear a variety of costumes. In 1996, it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

岐阜県郡上市八幡町で，毎年 8月13～16日の盆期間 4日間を中心として，32夜にわたって踊られる盆踊。江戸時代に，藩主が士農工商の各身分の融和をはかるために近隣の盆踊を城下に集め，盆の 4日間は無礼講で踊るよう奨励したことに始まると伝えられ，約 400年続いているといわれる。7月15日のおどり発祥祭に始まり，9月9日に踊り納めとなっていたが，今日は 7月中旬の土曜日におどり発祥祭があり，9月上旬の土曜日に踊り納めとなっている。その間，盆の 4日間に毎晩 8時から翌朝 5時頃まで踊り明かす徹夜踊りと，各地区の祭りや行事の日に合わせて踊る縁日踊りが行なわれる。踊りの曲は，『古調かわさき』『かわさき』『三百』『春駒』『ヤッチク』『げんげんばらばら』『猫の子』『甚句』『さわぎ』『まつさか』の 10曲あり，だれでも踊りに参加できる。徹夜踊りの際には，踊り保存会員が一般の踊り手を審査して，上手な踊り手にあとで免許状と引き換える木札を手渡す。さまざまな仮装をして踊る変装踊りもある。1996年国の重要無形民俗文化財に指定された。

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