Yasuyuki Ishiguro of the Nakano Nanazumai Preservation Committee

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Mr. Yasuyuki Ishiguro
Vice Chairman
Nakano Nanazumai （local dance） Preservation Committee

Mr. Yasuyuki Ishiguro was born in Iwaizumi Town. He attended both Omoto Elementary and Junior High School, then transferred to Miyako High School. After graduating high school, he found work at the Iwaizumi Town Hall and is currently part of the Election Administration Committee. He is also Vice Chairman of the Nakano Nanazumai Preservation Committee where he is strongly involved in the succession and the teaching of this traditional and local performance art.

Forming connections through performance art

The Nakano Nanazumai adopted certain aspects of the Kurokami Kagura dance from the coastal region and is a performance to wish for your family’s wellbeing and for a rich harvest/haul from both land and sea. Dancers are generally paired up in seven groups （total 14 dancers）. They skillfully use seven tools during the performance: the sakiuchi, yachibarai, naginata, tachi, kine, kotori, and the sasarasuri.

Mr. Ishiguro, who is in charge of teaching the art to future generations, talks about his involvement, “I formed many connections with other regions through local performance art. As long as we continue to perform the Nakano Nanazumai, more people will learn Iwaizumi and form a new bond.”

Promoting Iwaizumi's charm to attract people

Iwaizumi suffered major damage from Typhoon #10 that hit the region in August last year. “When the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami happened, it felt like we lost most of the coastal part of the town. But the typhoon last year brought upon more despair and anxiety because I thought we had lost the entire town, both coastal and inland. Since then, there’s been progress with the reconstruction, and although we don’t need as many volunteers as we required before, we are still short of people for places still in need of help,” Mr. Ishiguro explained about the recovery efforts after the typhoon.

In discussing highlights of Iwaizumi, he added, “There is the Ryusendo Cave, we have an abundant amount of seafood, and you can find matsutake （high-quality mushrooms） on the mountain.  Iwaizumi Town is located far from the inland areas but I believe it is a great place for people with free time, and who like nature and good food.” He has high expectations that the population will increase as more people are attracted to Iwaizumi.