BINZASARA: MUSIC AND DANCE AT SENSŌJI IN EDO/TŌKYŌ

Thebinzasarais a Japanese idiophone commonly used in music and dance of thedengakulineage. At Sensōji, a major temple-shrine complex in Tokyo, this instrument is used to accompany dances performed every year as part of the “Sanja festival,” which celebrates the founding of the temple. This paper utilizes historical sources and fieldwork evidence to analyze the historical emergence ofbinzasaradances, the development of their visual and musical elements, and the changes undergone by tradition from the seventeenth century to the present day.