From ancient times, the lion has been seen as a messenger from the gods, possessing the power to dispel evil and make people’s wishes come true. In Japan, it is said that if you are bitten by a lion-dancer, you won’t catch cold, and if you are sick, you will get better. Shishimai is varied to perform all around Japan. Wariki’s Shishimai was inspired by one variation from Kagura in the country side of Tokyo.

This features techniques of playing the Tsugaru shamisen developed by blind traveling entertainers (bosama) in the Tsugaru region of Aomori prefecture. The musician is free to improvise in different ways, such as by tapping strings and the skin simultaneously, picking strings from below with a plectrum, and plucking strings with the fingers.

An instrumental ensemble featuring two Tsugaru-shamisens, taking ninja (a group of secret agents active in feudal Japan) as its motif.

The chicken has heralded the arrival of dawn since ancient times. Torimai is a celebratory dance to bring daylight to the world by getting rid of evil spirits that dominate the darkness of night. Torimai is one of the folklore in Aomori.

In Japan, the cold winds from the north are called kitakaze. When the seasons change from winter to spring, the warm winds blow from the east. These winds are called kochi, and people welcome them with joy, as the winds are a sign of spring and make the flowers in the hills and fields blossom.

Will play one of the most popular folk song, Kojo no Tsuki (The Moon over the Ruined Castle, composed by Rentaro Taki (1879-1901)

One of the master piece by the pioneer of Modern Koto music, Tadao Sawai. This piece implies that the peoples wish that if we could fly in the sky like a bird…which resembles of our minds and awakes for its desire by time to time. And for example, when longing something, or if pleased with something, it fulfills our minds and bring us into the sky like a bird.

One of the street Performances originated in Fukuoka prefecture. It is used to be popular as a promotion Performance for the street spot sale of teeth paste in old days and now it comes to represent a fun of the local festival in Japan.

Folk dance originated in Iwate prefecture. the ornament fit on the hip is called Sarara, a pair of which are made of bamboo, which expresses ears of rice. Deer is traditionally called as an apostle of God as its horn’s a year-round rebirth resembles the growth of crops.