Like many rural villages, Damine is contending with an ageing population and a young exodus, which could spell the end of a grand and vivid ritual, writes Ben Dooley
At the heart of the performance, held each February, are the children. Energised as they put on their make-up backstage, they dash across the hanamichi, a narrow secondary stage where the lead actors make their dramatic appearances, then stomp their feet and brandish their swords. The crowd roars its approval, throwing sachets filled with coins at the stage, where they land in a metallic patter.
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