節分 Traditional Japanese Dance (Kagura/Bugaku) at Setsubun Event at Kyoto Shrine (Fujinomori Shrine)

Fujinomori Shrine in southern Kyoto puts on a great Setsubun event with ancient traditional dancing - Miko Kagura and Bugaku. Miko Kagura is a ritual dance performed by shrine maidens known as Miko. In old times Miko were like shamans and their dance was thought to channel spirits. Bugaku is old Imperial dance going back 1200 years. This style here was children dressed as celestial beings known as Karyobinga, a type of bird-man, who enjoys music and dance. After the dances, the setsubun devils came accompanied with their own sound effects. They were dispatched with beans thrown by the Karyobinga dancers and another pair was defeated by Miko shooting arrows and throwing some kind of silly string.