This paper is to explore how rural communities can transfer its traditional culture in a sustainable and endogenous manner while understanding the “succession” of a particular traditional culture, the ritual Kagura dancing tradition on a case of the Takachihogo-Shiibayama area (recognized as the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems). The study examines three aspects, 1) cooperation among neighboring communities, 2) home-coming of younger generations and return migration, and 3) inclusion of children as performers, in relation with age distributions, showing both quantitative and qualitative survey results. The results indicate that the succession is currently supported by new types of participants, and that the traditional cultural events provide opportunities for ex-villagers to be back to their hometown, suggesting a new form of succession of traditional cultures of depopulating rural areas.
