noun
kagura; traditional Shinto music and dance
A sacred performance offered to the kami, often featuring masked dance, flute, and drums. The term covers both formal shrine kagura and folk variants.
神社の祭りで神楽が奉納された。
Kagura was performed as an offering at the shrine festival.
神楽の笛の音が境内に響いた。
The sound of the kagura flute echoed through the shrine grounds.
Originally 神座 (かむくら, 'seat of the kami'), referring to the place where a deity was invited to descend. The reading shifted to かぐら, and the kanji 神楽 ('kami music') became standard.