Locating Transcendence in Japanese Minzoku Geinô

Contemporaryminzoku geinô(folk performing arts) in Japanese society is associated with thematsuri, or festival. Community members, such as workers and students, practise and perform various types ofminzoku geinôin preparation for local festivals. However, a look at the history ofminzoku geinôreveals that originally its practitioners were marginalized members of society, who used ecstatic expression to perform various rites such as healings, exorcisms, and blessings. Furthermore, the attitude toward ritual specialists was often negative; indeed, shamanistic practices were prohibited during the Meiji period (1868-1912). In response to social attitudes, ecstatic performers of Japan’s premodern period negotiated their expressive powers in a variety of ways in order to survive. This article introduces the reader to the typology ofminzoku geinôthat involves ecstatic performance presented byyamabushi, male mountain-dwelling ascetics, andmiko, female shamans generally associated with Shinto shrines. Moreover, the discussion in this paper illustrates how ecstatic performance changed throughout history to the extent that it is now seldom performed by marginalized ritual specialists. Performers of contemporaryminzoku geinôare accepted members of society. Furthermore, both the performers and the audience ofminzoku geinôare affected by the transformative nature of ecstatic expression.