Etchu

Gokayama Mugiya Festival: September 23 & 24, Kokiriko Festival: September 25 & 26

Gokayama Mugiya Festival&Kokiriko Festival

“Gokayama Mugiya Festival: This festival’s roots are said to lie in a song of longing for the capital city of Kyoto that was sung by members of the defeated Heike samurai clan who were once considered part of the imperial family. Visitors can enjoy dance performances by young men dressed in kimono, decorated with traditional family crests; hakama (pleated pants worn over a kimono); and white bindings at their sleeves with swords at their hips and straw hats in hand.
Kokiriko Festival: The “”sasara”” instruments essential to this festival dance are made of strips of cypress wood bound together and contain as many strips as there are human worldly desires and temptations (108). During the Kokiriko Festival, this “”sasara”” is sounded throughout an elegant dance that fascinates the many festival observers.”