Kasuga Wakamiya no On-matsuri (hereafter referred to as On-matsuri) is a giant annual festival which has taken place for almost 850 years. Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan between 710 and 794 A.D., abounds in ancient rituals and festivals even to the present day; On-matsuri is the largest of these, attracting both local people and visitors from throughout Japan. On-matsuri is known particularly for its wealth of ancient Japanese performing arts such as kagura, bugaku, sēnō, dengaku, sarugaku, and nō, as well as for the ritualistic events of Shintoism, the polytheistic religion indigenous to Japan.