【秋元神楽】
　秋元神楽が伝承されている向山（むこうやま）秋元地区は、宮崎県高千穂町の南側に位置し、諸塚山（もろつかやま）を挟み諸塚村と隣接する。集落に流れる諸塚山を水源とする秋元川（あきもとがわ）沿いには巨石が点在し、集落の上流には杉と苔に覆われた巨石「長九郎岩（ひょうくろいわ）」がある。そのほど近くの山の斜面には、山の神の神像が祀られている。神楽宿である秋元公民館の下には観音堂（かんのんどう）が建ち、古の神楽伝播者（でんぱしゃ）であろう修験（しゅげん）の名残を随所にとどめる。
　地域のみならず広く尊崇を集めてきた秋元神社は、天和３年（１６８３）の創建と伝わり、日本書紀の天神三柱（てんじんさんはしら）である国常立尊（くにとこたちのみこと）、国狭槌尊（くにさつちのみこと）、豊斟淳尊（とよくむぬのみこと）を祭祀する。諸塚山の北麓に鎮座し、太子ヶ窟（たいしがいわや）に通じるとされる秋元神社は、山岳信仰の拠点と伝わり、神楽の主祭神を諸塚太子大明神（もろつかたいしだいみょうじん）と定める。太子大明神の面様（おもてさま）には元禄１２年（１６９９）の墨書が残る。
　秋元神楽は、浅ヶ部（あさかべ）神楽の師匠樋口治吉朗（ひぐちじきちろう）が伝えた三田井系（みたいけい）の神楽とされる。令和２年（２０２０）現在、舞手である奉仕者殿（ほしゃどん）は２８名、小学生から最高齢９１歳まで幅広い年代が保存会に所属し、秋元公民館にて夜神楽三十三番が奉納される。県内外にとどまらず海外での公演も行うなど、神楽の保存継承に努めている。

【Akimoto Kagura】
The Akimoto region of Mukoyama, where Akimoto kagura has been passed down through the generations, is situated to the south of Takachiho in Miyazaki Prefecture, bordering the village of Morotsuka over the mountain, Morotsuka-yama. Giant stones are dotted along the banks of the Akimoto river, which flows through the community and has its source in Morotsuka-yama, and just upstream of the village is one such stone, overgrown by the cedar trees and moss, known locally as “hyōkuroiwa.” Near to this, on the mountainside, statues of the deities of the mountain are venerated. The Akimoto Community Center, which also functions as the kagura yado, the place where kagura is performed, also contains a temple to the Buddhist deity Kannon, and traces of shugendo ascetic mountain worship, the practitioners of which are thought to be the ancient performers and promulgators of kagura, are found all over the area.
Akimoto-jinja is popular not just in this region but is also well-known and respected over a wide area. It was believed to have been originally constructed in 1683, and worships the deities Kunitokotachi no mikoto, Kunisatsuchi no mikoto and Toyokumunu no mikoto, referred to collectively as the Tenjin san hashira, literally the “Three founding pillars of the Shinto pantheon.” Akimoto-jinja, which is located on the northern face of Morotsuka-yama and is believed to be connected to Taishigaiwaya, is regarded as a famous base for ascetic mountain worship, which led to the designation of Morotsuka taishi daimyōjin as the main deity to be honored during the kagura. The mask, or omote-sama, of Taishi daimyōjin, is recorded as having been made in 1699.
Akimoto kagura is believed to be of the same type as Mitai kagura, which was passed down by the master of Asakabe kagura, Higuchi Jikichiro. As of 2020, there are 28 registered hoshadon (performers), ranging from elementary school age to 91 years old, that make up the Akimoto kagura preservation society, and perform the 33 dances in the kagura repertoire through the night at the Akimoto Community Center. The society perform various activities to preserve the art, including performances not just in and around the prefecture but also overseas.