Fire Protection
Tiger Dance Festival

650-year-old ritual preventing fires through tiger dances

Photo by Kami Town

On April 29, witness an ancient festival with over 650 years of history in Kami Town that you will be unlikely to forget. The Old Niida District has a long history of spring and summer fires due to the high winds which rush down from the Ou Mountains. During the Muromachi period (14th to 16th centuries), residents began a ritual to protect the town from such fires, a tradition that survives to this day.

The fire protection dance was born from a Chinese belief that the wind would obey tigers. A parade, complete with musical performers and floats decorated with local flair, accompanies the tiger dancers as they march from house to house to bless each home and pray for safety from disaster. Starting at 10 a.m., four tigers will dance on the roofs of local buildings throughout the day, creating a memorable spectacle. Get your cameras ready!

The festival runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tiger dances will occur seven times total throughout the day, starting from 10 a.m.
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Last Update
February 14, 2019

Area Northern Miyagi

Details

ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT: 30 min. by bus from Furukawa Station (JR Tohoku Shinkansen, JR East Rikuu Line). At Furukawa Station, board bus bound for Shikama Yakuba-mae (色麻役場前). Alight at Nakaniida Nishi-machi (中新田西町).

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