Izaihō

Kudaka Island in Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture, has long been known as an island of the gods. Around thirty religious rites are woven into the life of the island each year, and they are still solemnly preserved and passed down by the islanders today. The greatest of these rituals is the “Izaihō,” held once every twelve years in the Year of the Horse. “Izaihō” is a sacred rite in which women between the ages of 30 and 41, born and raised on the island, become priestesses or divine women. Centered around a four-day main ceremony, the ritual unfolds over the course of more than a month. The women of the island, led by the noro priestesses, formed a religious order that protected the men and the daily life of the community. This is a documentary record of the 1966 “Izaihō.”