Nishiusuki

Western Usuki lies among the steep mountains of northern Hyūga, around Takachiho. Here communities preserve a form of kagura performed through the night, with dances welcoming the gods and retelling sacred stories. In the Edo period the rituals were transmitted around the priests of Takachiho Shrine; by the later years of that era, village houses also served as places for the performances. Masks, music and dance brought the world of the gods into mountain settlements.