dancers: two with small drums to accompany their movements and two without. All four were described to have a white cloth covering their face, dancing along in the night to the melody of flutes. This dance has been passed down through Azumi tribe generations as a ritualistic way to explore their connection to Azumi no Isora and express their praise. It was also performed with the shells of sea turtles by the ‘Urabe Diviners’ (the first adherents of Azumi no Isora) as a gateway to determine which days were safe for voyages to sea. Additionally, the Azumi people’s kinship to the Urabe Diviners and their history is symbolised by three deity stones in the shape of a sea turtle. Today, there are multiple shrines which are dedicated to the Azumi People. There is one in Genkai Bay on Shikanoshima Island dedicated to Azumi no Isora which contains sacred stones to represent the sea turtles, as well as over a thousand deer antlers to maintain their relationship with the deities. There is another on the north side of Japan known as the Hodaka shrine. This ritualistic shrine is thought to be a ‘mini-museum’, solely dedicated to preserving the rich culture and history of the Azumi People. Folklore The first folktale and mythology dates back to the establishment of the Azumi people around 1000 years ago, mainly when they were establishing a community made up of small villages and fishing huts. It was here where the Azumi people made up legends to warn their children of the dangers associated with wandering near the water, telling stories of a golden koi fish leaping from the water to snatch children away if they were near a river or shore alone. An origin folktale exploring the emergence of the Azumi people and their ancestor-deities is known as “The Pyroclastic Birth of Takemikatsuchi”. This follows the story of Izanami and Izanagi; sacred deities of the Shinto religion. They were believed to be the divine beings who created the universe and formed the Island of Japan by churning it with their adorned spear. However, their initial attempt at creating life was unsuccessful, with Izanami birthing a leech. It was believed to result from her disobedience in following the Japanese social construct of a woman – she initiated the sexual intercourse, a role assumed to be dominated by men. Although they eventually achieve success with their creation –