Kids Web Japan

Onikenbai (oni sword dance) is a dance that has been performed in the city of Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan for around 1,000 years.

It originally began as a way of offering comfort to ancestral spirits, but it was later performed by soldiers either before their departure for battle or upon their return. The onikenbai is a powerful, masculine dance. Today it is performed in and around Kitakami by dancers wearing samurai costumes, often during the Bon Festival in midsummer or at various community celebrations.

Depending on the piece being performed, there are anywhere from one to eight dancers. Dancers usually wear a long-haired wig and an oni mask that is believed to bring good fortune. Masks come in five colors - red, blue, yellow, black, and white - with the dance being centered on the one wearing the yellow mask.

The dancers hold a fan in their right hand and wear a sword around their waist, stomping their feet and jumping up and down to the rhythm of drums, flute, and hand bells. The word kenbai is thought to derive from henbai, which means stepping firmly on the ground. The dancers stomp on the dancing area to drive out evil spirits that threaten to enter from the northeast.

Most children in Kitakami rehearse this dance from an early age and are proud of this local tradition. In this city, oni are not fearsome ogres but powerful beings that help protect local residents.