Kagura in Rome / Daniele Sestili      On September 6th, 2001 a Kagura performance was held in Rome at the Saint Ignatius Catholic church, in the historic city center. This was the very first time that Kagura had been performed anywhere in Italy and one of the very few occasions for Italians to attend a traditional Japanese event. Thanks to the "Japan in Italy festival" five years ago, people living in Rome had already had some opportunity to encounter traditional Japanese performing arts such as Gagaku, Kabuki and Kyogen. This time the occasion was unique not least owing to the religious significance of the event. Kagura is, in fact, a Shinto folk ritual, characterized by music, dance, acrobatics, and drama.      The response to the event in Rome was enthusiastic. More than 600 people packed the Saint Ignatius church, even though Romans tend to prefer outdoor events in the mild climate of early September. The Kagura audience was diverse and included students, intellectuals, scholars of different hues - Japanologists, ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, and musicians, but also local people and tourists as well.      The first to enter the "stage", located in front of the altar, was the Chichibu Kagura troupe. The dignified, solemn dances and the music of flute and drum, in combination with the beautiful masks and costumes left the audience spell-bound.      In contrast, the lively performance by the Buzen Kagura troupe, with its acrobatics and energetic, vibrant music was greeted with rapturous applause. Toward the end, a dancer wearing the fearful mask of Sarutahiko left the stage to roam amongst the audience, hugging and lifting children to the excitement and delight of all.