By Kanji Usui
While everyone else was on their Obon holiday break, I was glued to my PC the entire time, so I'm taking some time off now and visiting Takachiho, which I've wanted to see for a long time.
I was looking forward to many things, and on the first day, I experienced "Yoru Kagura" (Night Kagura), a National Designated Intangible Cultural Property.
The program (?) was roughly two parts—one was a solemn kagura based on the famous legend of Amanotsuchiho, with the polished quality of a traditional performing art.
And I have to say, the second one was quite shocking.
It was a kagura with the theme of conjugal harmony between Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, the deities credited with creating Japan. It was really entertaining lol.
The setting was the two of them drinking together, but Izanagi got drunk and tumbled toward the audience, hugging spectators indiscriminately, while Izanami slapped him at every turn—quite a chaotic sequence...
Furthermore, after the inebriated Izanagi fell asleep, a certain part of his anatomy became rather prominent, and Izanami struggled to keep it in check. It was quite the adult-rated content, and the entire venue erupted in laughter.
I suppose this might be problematic from a compliance standpoint, but it's a cultural property lol.
Come to think of it, people must have been more open and uninhibited back then. It really highlights how constrained and uptight modern society has become.
Tradition encompasses not just "formality" but also "humor" and "playfulness."
Perhaps that kind of flexibility is the secret to a culture that endures for generations, or so I thought.