What is Ayako Mai?

Ayako-mai is an ancient and elegant folk performing art that has been passed down for approximately 500 years in the Onadani district of Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture.
Ayako-mai has been carefully preserved and passed down by the local people in the Onadani district at the foot of Mount Kurohime. Currently, the troupes in the two settlements of Takanda and Shimono continue to pass down the performing art inherited from their ancestors.
The content is divided into three parts: dance, musical accompaniment, and Kyogen, and various performances have been passed down. In particular, the dance, in which dancers wear long-sleeved furisode kimonos, long sashes, and red cloths called “yurai” on their heads, is considered a valuable representation of early Kabuki dance and is highly valued as an extremely important cultural heritage in the history of performing arts.
Ayako-mai was designated as one of the first Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan on May 4, 1976 (Showa 51). And in 2026, it will mark a major milestone: the 50th anniversary of this designation.
Furthermore, in November 2022, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage as one of the “Fūryū Odori” (elegant dances). Having been passed down in the region for approximately 500 years, Ayako-mai is now recognized worldwide as one of Japan’s leading folk performing arts.

Event details

Every September, a performance of the Ayako-mai dance is held in the Onnadani district of Kashiwazaki City. This year marks the 50th anniversary of its designation as a national intangible folk cultural property, so a grand performance is planned for September 13th.

Additionally, on October 28th, a “Traditional Learning Presentation” by elementary and junior high school students working to preserve the Ayako-mai dance will be held at Kashiwazaki Municipal Minami Junior High School.
In March of next year (2027), to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its designation as a national intangible folk cultural property, a performance is planned in Paris, France, where UNESCO headquarters are located.

Purpose of the commemorative station

In 2026, the 50th anniversary of the designation of Ayako-mai as a Nationally Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, the Yoneyama HF Club (JR0YHF), based in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, will establish and operate a commemorative station to introduce Ayako-mai not only domestically but also widely overseas, in celebration of the “50th Anniversary of the Designation of Ayako-mai as a Nationally Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and the Paris Commemorative Performance.”
Through amateur radio, we will transmit the history and charm of Ayako-mai, a source of pride for Kashiwazaki, to amateur radio operators throughout Japan and around the world.

Operation period

We will be operating a commemorative station for the following two periods (3 months each).

From September 1, 2026 to October 31, 2026 (2 months)

On September 13th, a “local performance” will be
held in the Onnadani district of Kashiwazaki City to celebrate the 50th anniversary . Also, on October 28th, a “traditional learning presentation” by elementary and junior high school students working to preserve the Ayako dance will be held at Kashiwazaki Municipal Minami Junior High School. Therefore
, we would like to operate this for two months, from September 1st, 2026 to October 31st, 2026.

From March 1, 2027 to March 31, 2027 (1 month)

Since we will be performing in Paris, France in late March next year, we would like to communicate with many stations not
only but also overseas (especially in Europe).

Regarding the issuance of QSL cards

8J0A does not issue paper QSL cards. Please enter your QSO data on the online QSL request page on this site . If the data matches with log file (within +/- 10 minutes of the QSO time), you can download the QSL card. The aspect ratio of the downloaded image file is the same as a standard postcard. It may take several days after the QSO before the QSL card is available for download. No QSL required from your side.

Contact Form

Please contact us using the form on this website .