MIYAZAKI -- Aiming to spread the appeal of Japan's traditional kagura dance performances, the southwestern Japan prefecture of Miyazaki has created a "virtual kagura" system offering immersive experiences along with the help of avatars in a "kagura metaverse."

The Miyazaki Prefectural Government hopes the initiative, announced in a regular news conference by Gov. Shunji Kono, will boost recognition of kagura, draw tourists and support efforts across Japan to have kagura registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Virtual reality (VR) videos allow viewers to experience four kagura performances within the prefecture -- "Mera no Kagura," "Takaharu no Kanme," "Shiiba Kagura," and "Takachiho no Yokoagura" -- from various angles including the dancer's perspective, creating a realistic sensation. Opportunities to experience these VR videos will be available at events within the prefecture and are set to be released to the public online after its exhibition at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka concludes in early September.

The "kagura metaverse," a virtual space on the internet, allows users to learn about kagura using avatars. It provides easy-to-understand commentaries on basic knowledge relating to kagura, such as the various implements the dancers hold, called "torimono," and musical instruments like drums, flutes and gongs. Various interactive events are also planned. Additionally, the platform includes kagura mask fortune telling and interview videos with young successors. The VR videos and the metaverse will be accessible through the prefecture's official tourism website (in Japanese).

Furthermore, governors from 24 prefectures where kagura is performed reported on March 24 that they had established a "governors' union for kagura inheritance and promotion." Gov. Kono, who serves as a joint representative and secretary-general of the group, commented, "Amid the population decline and advancing depopulation, the succession of kagura has come under threat, and we are advancing efforts in the hope that we can somehow vitalize it."

(Japanese original by Kazuhito Shimozono, Miyazaki Bureau)