It is said that originally Dengaku was a traditional local entertainment performed in planting rice, but became a specialized form of entertainment by introducing acrobatic techniques of the Sangaku style brought to Japan from Tang (in China) in the Heian period.
田楽とは、元々田植えに際してそれを囃した民間芸能が、平安時代に唐から渡来した散楽系の曲芸的な技を受け入れて専業化したものとされる。