Matsuri and the Kyūshū Folk-Healing Tradition of Itako and Miko

Record summary

Itako, traditionally blind female spirit mediums associated especially with northern Japan, have continued to attract ethnographic and journalistic attention in the contemporary period despite demographic decline and changing regulation. Their kuchiyose rituals are often described as calling or conveying the voices of the dead, including disaster victims, ancestors, or named historical figures. The tradition is valuable for comparing apprenticeship, bodily impairment, pilgrimage, performance, and bereavement. Contemporary practice is uneven, and tourist representation may differ substantially from local ritual contexts or historical descriptions.