thumb|upright=1.3|An early photograph of Japanese women in dance pose.
Japanese traditional dance describes a number of Japanese dance styles with a long history and prescribed method of performance. Some of the oldest forms of traditional Japanese dance may be among those transmitted through the tradition, or folk dances relating to food producing activities such as planting rice () and fishing, including rain dances. There are large number of these traditional dances, which are often suffixed , , and , and may be specific to a region or village.
is a more reserved genre of dance that often has circling movements, and dances of the Noh theatre are of this tradition.
Traditional dance forms in the present day have also been influenced by Western dance forms like ballet, which were introduced to Japan during the Meiji Restoration. In ('The Heron Maiden') the dancer's role is the spirit of the heron. In classical versions, the spirit assumes a handsome, strong pose at the end of the dance. However, this classical ending was altered in later versions (which borrowed heavily from Anna Pavlova's performances of The Dying Swan) so the spirit gradually became lifeless, ultimately sinking to the floor. The expression referred originally to those who were bizarrely dressed and swaggered on a street.
The history of kabuki began in 1603, when Izumo no Okuni, possibly a shrine maiden of Izumo Taisha Temple, began performing a new style of dance drama in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto, and they were then called "strange" or "unusual" (kabuki). Noh is a dance that is done to music that is made by flutes and small hand drums called . At various points the performers dance to vocal and percussion music; these points are called or . Noh dances are put together by a series of forms. A type that is neither slow nor fast is called , and is usually performed by a female dancer. A slower type of dance is the , which is also done by a female, sometimes dressed up as a ghost of a noble woman, a spirit, or a deity. A male's dance is . In the performer does not wear a mask and is portraying the character as being heroic. Another male dance is , where the dancer acts as though he is a deity. This is a very fast dance. The female version of this is called and can be performed in various ways. is a dance that imitates music played at the imperial court and is usually done by the main character in a Noh drama. These are the six varieties that make up the Noh dance types.
Costumes are a major part of Noh theatre, including the Noh . Dances and play may start out slowly, so actors create flamboyant, colourful costumes to keep the audience engaged. They also dress to fit the aspects the characters represent, for example a bamboo hat worn by a character represents country life. The most important part of the Noh costumes are the masks. The Noh masks are thought to be the most artistic masks in Japan. The masks are only worn by the main characters. The masks have neutral expressions so it is the job of the actor to bring the character to life.
thumb|left|Two performing a dance
is different from most other traditional dances. It is intended for entertainment on stage. is a refined dance that has been improved throughout four centuries. It was first performed and improvised by stonemasons who were constructing Sendai Castle for the Date Masamune. The emblem of the Date clan incorporates two tree sparrows. The sparrow dance is now performed yearly in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture at the Aoba festival in mid-May. It was originally a dance to welcome the spirits of the dead. These dances and the music that accompanies them are different for every region of Japan. Usually, the dance involves people dancing around a , a high wooden scaffold. The people move either counter clockwise or clockwise, away and towards the . Sometimes they switch direction.
The movement and gestures in a dance often depict the history, work or geography of the region. For example, is a coal mining work song that originates from Miike Mine in Kyushu, and the movements in the dance depict digging, cart pushing and lantern hanging. is a sea shanty, and the movements in the dance depict net dragging and luggage hoisting. dances may employ the use of different utensils, such as fans, small towels and wooden hand clappers. For the , the dancers use straw hats with flowers on them.
(or ) is a refined dance form that comes from the pleasure quarters in Osaka and Kyoto. The dance style is represented by classical elements of style such as fan movements, pantomime and circular movements. This form of dance is intended to be performed only by women.