Commemorative Celebration for the Registration of Gokase Ara-odori as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Today, Sunday, December 1, a celebratory gathering was held at the Ara-Odori Hall in the Sakamoto district to mark the registration of “Gokase Ara-odori” as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in February of Reiwa 3 (2021).👏✨

Because the registration around Reiwa 3 fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding a celebration then was difficult, so today’s event was finally realized.🥹

After the opening, the ceremony proceeded smoothly with greetings from the Ara-Odori Preservation Society and congratulatory messages from guests,
followed by kagami-biraki (sake barrel opening) accompanied by the powerful sounds of Ara-odori drums, bells, and matchlock gun volleys.🍶🔨

Later, Mr. Fujimoto, the lead dancer, gave the toast and the banquet began.👏

It was a wonderful gathering where members of the Ara-Odori Preservation Society, the dancers and their families all shared their various feelings about Ara-odori.😌

During the banquet, the host conducted interviews in which, somewhat shyly, everyone spoke passionately about Ara-odori.🤭✨

When people had enjoyed enough sake and conversation, the event concluded with three cheers of banzai.🙌🙌🙌

In Miyazaki, a land that preserves many traditional performing arts such as kagura, the registration of Gokase Ara-odori as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage truly felt like a great achievement.😳

Going forward, we hope these traditional performing arts, preserved and passed down in each district, will continue to be treasured.✨