Dates: December 15th-18th
Place: Wakamiya-jinja Shrine (in the precints of the Kasuga Taisha Grand Shrine)
City: 160, Kasugano-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
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Held at Wakamiya-jinja Shrine, it was first organised in the 12th century when an epidemic prevailed, and prayers were offered at this festival for the eradication of the plague and also for the blessing of a rich harvest. A four day long festival with the greatest of attractions of the festival concentrated on the 17th, which is known as Hon-Matsuri. The performances of kagura, which is music dedicated to the gods, and bugaku, or court music accompanied by traditional dance, is really worth attending. As it features a multitude of traditional performing arts which we rarely have the chance to come across in our daily lives, this festival is for those who have a keen interest in traditional performing arts as well as traditional music. Also on the 17th, there is a splendid Jidai Gyoretsu (Procession of the Eras) in which customs and manners of each era are reproduced by the townsfolk.
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