Journeys in Japan

S17 E18 • 9/29/2026

Kitakami: Land of the Demon Dance

Kitakami in Iwate Prefecture has long been said to be a town of oni — the demons of Japanese folklore that appear in numerous legends passed down over the centuries. It is also home to Oni Kenbai, a dynamic dance featuring masked performers, whose roots stretch back 1,300 years and which is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Saskia Thoelen is a university lecturer from Belgium. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, she explores the ancient "dance of the demons" and meets the people for whom this tradition remains very much alive. She discovers the lush nature and local foods of Kitakami, as the town marks the midsummer Obon observances with the thunderous rhythms of Oni Kenbai.