Shinto Festival Music VIDEO

This video, SHINTO FESTIVAL MUSIC, was filmed in Tokyo at the 1993 Sanja Matsuri in the Asakusa district, and at the Sumiyoshi, Hachiman, and Meiji Shrines. Host for the program is Dr. William P. Malm, Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Michigan. He explains the variety of musical traditions in Shinto festivals and discusses the use of musical instruments. Dr. Sidney Brown, Professor of Japanese History at the University of Oklahoma, introduces the rituals of Shinto and the rich tradition of Japanese mythology. The viewer joins millions of spectators on the streets of Tokyo to witness the colorful parade of neighborhood villagers who carry huge portable shrines known as "omikoshi." The celebrated Hayashi ensemble led by Taneo Wakayama performs festival music with driving rhythms to accompany elaborate theatricals of mime and dance.