The annual spring festival was held on the 17th at a shrine in Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture, which was damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and parishioners dedicated traditional kagura.
Ozuka Shrine in Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture was built about 230 years ago and has been worshiped as the local guardian deity, but it suffered damage during the Great East Japan Earthquake, with the shrine building leaning over.
The annual spring festival was held on the 17th at the shrine, which was rebuilt four years ago, and about 60 people gathered, including returning residents and people who had rushed from their evacuation sites.
In order to preserve the tradition, nine parishioners who returned to the town participated in Kagura for the first time, performing a lion dance to the sound of light flutes and powerful drums, and the visitors looked on fondly.
A fourth-grade elementary school girl who lives in Tomioka Town said, ``It was difficult to make the flute sound, but it was fun.''
In addition, a woman who moved to Tomioka from Tokyo and participated in Kagura said, ``I would like to have young people move here and carry on the tradition.''
Hiromichi Ikari, chief parishioner of Ozuka Shrine, said, ``I'm overwhelmed with emotion that we were able to perform Kagura dance with new members.I want to continue to pass on the tradition.''