Welcome to the Shimokage Village Archive, a collection of records concerning the village, its traditions, and the annual Shimokage Hōnō-sai (島影奉納祭). Shimokage was once a small mountain village known far beyond the surrounding valleys for its unusual folklore and its yearly festival dedicated to Kagutaba.
The village itself was never large. Only a small number of families lived there year-round, but visitors came from neighboring towns to see the festival and learn about the old customs. The tradition was held once every year, and a person was chosen to take the role of Kagutaba. The chosen person, usually a child, would wear the sacred mask and take part in the ceremony before the village gathered to watch.
The Shimokage Hōnō-sai was held once every year and was the most important event in the village. Visitors came from neighboring towns to watch the ceremony and see the person chosen to become Kagutaba.
The festival was not considered a large event, but it became well known among people interested in local folklore. The ceremony followed the same tradition every year, with the Kagutaba mask being passed to a new chosen person.
- The Kagutaba Mask: The mask used during the festival. Each year, one person was chosen to wear it and represent Kagutaba. According to local records, the role was most often given to a child.
- The Annual Ceremony: The Hōnō-sai was held once every year. The chosen Kagutaba would appear before the villagers, wearing the mask while the ceremony was performed. The meaning of the ritual was never fully agreed upon, even among the villagers themselves.
- The Drowned Village: Shimokage disappeared beneath the reservoir after the construction of a nearby dam. The village had few permanent residents, but its festival had made it a well-known destination for people interested in local folklore.
Kagutaba was described in Shimokage records as a figure associated with the protection of the village and the continuation of its traditions. During the Hōnō-sai, the chosen person would put on the mask and become Kagutaba for the duration of the ceremony. The mask was then passed on, year after year, from one chosen person to the next.
The last ceremony was held before the village was submerged. Some records describe the festival as a simple local performance. Others suggest that something more important was taking place behind the mask.
Today, the old village lies beneath the water. The houses are gone, the roads are gone, and the people who lived there are gone. But photographs of the Hōnō-sai remain, along with the records of the last children who were chosen to wear the mask.
Several documents recovered from the old village contain the same sentence, repeated without explanation:
THE RITUAL MUST CONTINUE.
THE RITUAL MUST CONTINUE.
THE RITUAL MUST CONTINUE.
The original records state that the mask was to be passed from one chosen person to another at the end of every ceremony. No record explains what would happen if the ceremony was not performed.
"The village drowned. The ritual didn't."
A damaged festival photograph contains a handwritten note on the back: One child. One vessel. One ritual.
The final line is difficult to read. It appears to say:
SHE IS STILL WAITING.
SHIMOKAGE / ARCHIVE_07
RECORD STATUS: INCOMPLETE
LAST CEREMONY: UNKNOWN
NEXT CEREMONY: UNKNOWN
LOCATION: SUBMERGED