Shimane: 55 Serpents Give Spectacular Performance of Iwami Kagura on Expo Stage; Performers Have Been Making Preparations

By Junpei Momoda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

6:08 JST, July 14, 2025

OSAKA/HAMADA, Shimane — Fifty-five giant serpents gave a spectacular performance at the Osaka-Kansai Expo on June 19 and 20, part of an exhibition of Iwami Kagura, a type of traditional folk music and dancing from the Iwami region of western Shimane Prefecture.

The program included the iconic piece “Orochi,” which tells a story based on Shinto mythology in which the deity Susanoo no Mikoto defeats a huge eight-headed serpent called Yamata no Orochi.

Exactly 55 serpents were included in the production to commemorate the performance of Iwami Kagura at the 1970 Osaka World Expo 55 years ago.

The Iwami Kagura performances at the 2025 Expo lasted two days and featured a total of about 150 performers. One part of it, the Dairin dance, involved multiple serpents moving together in a large circle. It was so spectacular that it drew applause from the audience.

In order to stage this large-scale show, 32 Iwami Kagura groups in Hamada, Shimane Prefecture, worked together as an “All Hamada” troupe, practicing hard from March until the time of the performances.

Intense rehearsal

One day in early June, about 100 people gathered at a skating rink in Hamada. Accompanied by large and small drums and flutes, performers did a full rehearsal of the four plays to be performed at the Expo, including “Orochi.”

The director instructed the dancers on various points, such as when to lift the serpents’ bodies. The rehearsal was intense and continued past the scheduled end time of 9 p.m.

Katsuyuki Kametani, 74, performed as a serpent at the 1970 Expo. He still remembers running across the large venue while covered in a white serpent body during the show.

“I was desperate to keep up with the other dancers,” Kametani said.

Issei Fujino, a 23-year-old member of the same kagura group as Kametani, danced as a serpent in this year’s performance. He has been familiar with Iwami Kagura since childhood. Even after enrolling in a vocational school in Fukuoka Prefecture, he sometimes returned home to help with the shows. After graduating, he moved back to his hometown to join in the dances.

Fujino said he cannot forget how excited he was when he saw a video of Kametani’s dancing. He was advised by Kametani “to carefully watch other performers around you to figure out how to move when performing.”

Working to pass the torch

At a shrine in a mountainous district of the city, Shunsuke Oga, the 45-year-old representative of another kagura group, practiced dancing with a serpent body that was just purchased this year.

In the past, Oga had only acted as the deities who defeat the serpent.

“It’s hard to move in sync with other dancers,” Oga said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The Iwami region is experiencing rapid population decline. Mountainous areas in particular are suffering a severe shortage of kagura performers. One area has reduced the number of performances, and another has discontinued “children’s kagura” due to the shrinking number of children.

Oga’s kagura group currently has only 12 members in their 30s to 70s. Their ability to perform “Orochi” is in jeopardy, as it requires about 10 dancers.

“We have managed to continue giving public performances thanks to the cooperation of other groups, but I wonder if we will be able to continue performing in the same way in the future,” Oga said.

This time, he chose to perform as a serpent as he thought that a production with 55 serpents, which is a new idea, would attract new people to the art form.

As a first-time performer of the serpent dance, Oga practiced twisting his body to wrap the serpent body around himself while letting the tail hang down. He also watched videos of joint practices to improve his dancing.

During joint practices, performers from other groups gave him advice. Oga appeared determined and driven by a sense of mission as an heir to the tradition.

Whole-hearted performances

Various people played different roles to make the show at the Expo successful.

Akira Nagami, 54, who acted as Susanoo no Mikoto, focused on making his movements diverse.

In late May, during a full rehearsal for “Orochi,” he danced in a mask for the first time. At first, he was exhausted as he had to move a greater distance than he had anticipated.

“Considering my age, the Expo will be my last big performance. I want to give it my all to fulfill my role,” Nagami said enthusiastically before the show.

Yuta Fukagasako, 35, played a central role in directing and structuring the production of “Orochi.” He is also the director in charge of sound and lighting at a small theater in Gotsu in the prefecture, where Iwami Kagura is regularly performed.

At a meeting held in early March to discuss “Orochi,” he found that even basic aspects of the production were yet to be decided, such as where to place the 55 serpents on the stage and what performing skills to showcase.

Fukagasako created a rough stage layout showing where the serpents would be positioned and how they would perform. He became the on-site leader, directing and structuring during the joint rehearsals in accordance with his plan.

For the Dairin dance, he created multiple circles of serpents across the stage so that the show could be seen head-on from anywhere in the audience. Lighting and projection mapping were also used, making the Expo production a powerful event that was well worth seeing.