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New Hampshire man becomes first non-Japanese person to participate in traditional dance

Matt Croasdale, a 38-year-old man from New Hampshire now living in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, participated in a centuries-old traditional dance on May 12, 2025.
He became the first non-Japanese participant ever invited to take part in this dance, which has been performed for over eight centuries.
The dance, recognized by the Japanese government as a valuable cultural tradition, celebrates the arrival of spring and expresses hopes for a successful harvest in a small town within Gifu Prefecture.
Croasdale carried a large taiko drum and wore a colorful bamboo fan symbolizing a phoenix's wing while practicing for weeks and feeling initially apprehensive but encouraged by neighbors and media attention.
His participation highlights cultural exchange and community support, and he plans to continue dancing as long as he is welcomed, despite some uncertainty about local reactions.

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