A motion style estimator for lost folk dances in Akita prefecture, Japan

Abstract

In Akita Prefecture located in the northeast region of Japan, many attractive folk dances have been passed down. However, several dances were lost due to the falling birthrate and depopulation of rural areas. This study proposes a method to obtain the information contributing to the restoration of the lost folk dances. Specifically, we estimate the motion style of lost Bon Odori dances (Bon Odori: a type of Japanese folk dance), using the investigation data of folk customs and the motion capture data of extant dances.