Fan Festival

On the night of February 6 every year at the Kamikura Shrine, which is located in the mountains where the gods of Kumano Sanzan descended for the first time, and climbed 538 steep stone steps. The courageous dance festival, in which the white-dressed children run down the stone steps with torches, is famous as Japan's oldest fire festival with a tradition of more than 1,400 years, and is also designated as a national designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Image courtesy: Sindong City Tourism Association

An example festival of the Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, which is revered as the main shrine of the national Kumano Shrine, and is renowned as a World Heritage Site. It is designated as a National Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The two-day festival begins at the main shrine of the main shrine, with the Kamima Watari ceremony, the Gyosho shrine, and the next day the Kamikoshi Watari ceremony, the Mifune festival, and the Gyosho shrine. In the Gyosho Shinto ritual, the "Sugi no Kagamiya" was built, and it tells the original appearance of the ancient ritual, which was the first to welcome God. In the midst of the darkness, we offer a special shrine called "Omitama" "Kakefish", and the celebration is played, and the ritual is strictly performed. In addition to this, there is also a highlight of the Saafune race, which competes bravely with nine boats of Ujiko.

It is said that whaling flourished from around the 17th century, and whale dances occurred with the outbreak of whaling, and they danced on the shore in celebration of great fishing. The whale dance of Sanmazaki, also known as the "whaling dance", is an expression of the very style of whaling. It is composed of two types: "Tononaka Odori", which is a dance of a whale by throwing a net, and "Aya Odori", which is a form of dancing with only the upper body while sitting all the time, and throwing a harpoon to poke the whale. At present, it is a lively and courageous dance that is dedicated to praying for great fishing and nautical safety at the Sanrozaki-Hachiman Shrine Annual Festival, Gyosho (Sanrozaki Fishing Port). It was certified Japanese Heritage in 2016. Image courtesy of Shinomiya City