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Folklore Desk

Folklore Desk
  • MA Folklore

Covering Japan's festivals with a folklore background.

Latest

Gujo Odori Origin: Why a 400-Year Dance Still Continues (Dancing Beyond Class)

Gujo Odori traces to the early Edo period, when the lord of Gujo-Hachiman gathered the villages' Bon dances into the castle town to foster harmony across the rigid class system. A clear explainer of why 'dancing beyond rank' has endured for 400 years.

Folklore Desk ·

Why Gion Matsuri Exists: Its 869 Origin, Explained (Gozu Tenno & Warding Off Plague)

Gion Matsuri began in 869 as the Gion Goryo-e, a rite to drive out plague. Held by Yasaka Shrine (the former Gion shrine of Gozu Tenno), it has run for over 1,150 years. A short, clear explainer of why it endures.

Folklore Desk ·