1.
lion dance
A traditional Japanese performing art in which dancers wear a lion-head mask and costume. Performed at festivals and New Year celebrations to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. Having your head bitten by the lion is considered especially auspicious.
お正月に獅子舞を見た。
I saw a lion dance on New Year's.
祭りで獅子舞が披露された。
A lion dance was performed at the festival.
獅子舞に頭をかまれると無病息災で過ごせると言われている。
It is said that having your head bitten by a lion dance brings health and safety from illness.
CULTURE:
獅子舞 is one of Japan's most iconic traditional performing arts. The dancer wears a large, colorful lion head (獅子頭) and a long cloth body, often accompanied by musical instruments. It appears at New Year celebrations, shrine festivals, and local events throughout Japan.
A widely held belief is that being "bitten" on the head by the 獅子 (lion) brings good fortune and wards off illness, so children are often presented to the lion despite their tears.
Regional variations exist across Japan, from the two-person 獅子舞 of the Kanto area to multi-person performances in other regions.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 獅子舞を舞う: to perform a lion dance
- 獅子舞を見る: to watch a lion dance
- 獅子舞に頭をかまれる: to have one's head bitten by the lion