Yagibushi

The Yagibushi (Japanese: 八木節, meaning song of yagi [1]) is a popular folk song and dance performed at matsuri (and occasionally Undokai sports days) in Gunma and Tochigi, Japan. It consists of dancers with broad hats called kasa going in a counter clockwise circle around a mikoshi. The dance is very energetic and ends with everyone throwing their hats in the air. The "Yagi" (八木, literally "eight trees") came from Yagi-shuku, one of the post stations on the Nikkō Reiheishi Kaidō Road, and is not to be confused with the "yagi" (山羊, goat).

Yagibushi Dancers at Isemachi Matsuri

History

The song was first sung by Seizaburo Maruyama, who was from the town of Asakura (currently Ashikaga, Tochigi) and known as "Seizo Asakura", and popularized by Gentaro Watanabe "Genta Horigome".[2]

The original form of the song is said to be Shimpo Kōdaiji (新保広大寺), which originated in Niigata.[3][4] It was later arranged and spread along the Nikkō Reiheishi Kaidō Road by craftmen and traveling entertainers such as Goze. Eventually one around Yagi-shuku became the most popular, where Watanabe and others developed today's form.[3]

References
  1. garland encyclopedia of world music volume 7 East Asia: China Japan and Korea
  2. "'Ōta Karuta' Efuda, Yomifuda Ichiran Ya Gyo" 『太田かるた』絵札・読み札一覧や行 [List of Karuta cards (Ya) in Ōta Karuta] (in Japanese). City of Ota. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  3. Tsutomu, Takeuchi [in Japanese]. "Yagibushi" [ja:八木節]. Encyclopedia Nipponica (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  4. 「広大寺節」の全国大会 保存会設立50周年 八木節などの源流 新潟・十日町 ／群馬 (in Japanese). March 26, 2022.
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