An idea that keeps succession alive
[Testimony] Mr. Shunichi Yaegashi, Chairman of Iwasaki Onikenbai Preservation Society

Mr. Shunichi Yaegashi, Chairman of Iwasaki Onikenbai Preservation Society

Some people from Sapporo in Hokkaido, Kyoto and Sado in Niigata have come to visit us to learn the Onikenbai. I am letting them perform the dance in their hometown.
Originally, families that had performed the Onikenbai passed down for generations, but it became impossible because of the declining birth rate. We are contriving to expand the area to introduce the Onikenbai in order to avoid decreasing the number of successors. During the war, many Onikenbai performers died in the war, so women participated in the festival on behalf of them. Kenbu is practiced by the students from the kindergarten to high school in Kitakami. I want many people in any age get involved to the wonderful dance which our predecessors left us, and prevent it from dying out.
It is important to enjoy dancing and performing rather than thinking about increasing the number of performers. And then I hope people could think about the inheritance and their issues in the community later. Some people came from abroad such as Australia to learn this dance. The link gave us a chance to perform Onikenbai in Australia. I believe that we do not need any specific words and an proper reason to dance, we just feel the moving of our body and enjoy the dance ourselves, that's how we are doing well.