Nagashibina
Girl's Day at Mochigase (Tottori, Yazu, Mochigase town)

The day corresponding to March 3rd by the lunar calendar

March 3rd is girl's day in Japan and is called "hina matsuri". This spring festival is held in various areas on this day in the hope that girls will enjoy good health. Mochigase town holds its "hina matsuri" festival on the date corresponding to March 3rd by the lunar calendar each year. For Japanese people, a doll can be used as a talisman to petition the gods. It is believed that a doll may be sacrificed if some misfortune befalls someone. During the "hina matsuri" festival days, people display "hina" dolls and celebrate girl's day. After the festival, people float their dolls in the river; these dolls are believed to possess any adversity that might afflict the girls.
On the day of the "hina matsuri" in Mochigase town, a traditional ceremony called "hina-nagashi", floating the hina dolls is held at the Sendai River. Girls dressed in pretty "kimono" and wearing appropriate make-up place their male and female dolls on straw dishes together with peach flowers, rape blossoms and rice crackers. The offerings are then floated away down the river with a prayer for good health.

Sagi-mai Shinji
Festival of the White Egrets (Simane, Kanoashi, Tsuwano town)

July 20, 24 and 27

The "Sagi-mai shinji" is a festival held at Tsuwano in Shimane prefecture. This festival is also known as the "Gion Matsuri" festival, a festival that was originally celebrated at the Yasaka shrine in Kyoto. The "Sagi-mai" dance was passed on from the Yasaka shrine festival to Tsuwano. By dedicating the "Sagi-mai" or white egrets dance, the participants hope to purify the Tsuwano river water and drive out the evil sprits of summer. Dancers dressed up as male and female white egrets, face each other and sway to the music. They raise and lower their opened wings and elegantly move backward and forward. It is said that the god leaves the shrine during the ceremony known as the "Jinko-sai" on July 20th and returns to it on July 27th during the ceremony called the "Kangen-sai". On both of these days, the "Sagi-mai" dance is dedicated at eleven different locations in the town. The local little girls also perform the "Sagi-mai" dance during the festival.

The Shimonoseki Kaikyo Matsuri
Shimonoseki Straits Festival
(Yamaguchi, Shimonoseki city, Ganryu Island, Akama shrine)

May 3

Various colorful events that delight the many visitors are held during the Shimonoseki Straits Festival. The "samurai" sea battle of Admiral Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune verses Admiral Taira-no-Tomomori is re- enacted in the Kanmonn Channel where 200 boats perform historical war scenes. At Ganryu-jima island, the famous "samurai" duel between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro is staged. The highlight of the festival is the "Jouro-gyouretsu", a dazzling procession of the 'courtesans'. In the year 1185, the Taira clan was defeated in battle by the Minamoto clan at Danoura in Yamaguchi prefecture. As a result of this defeat the seven years old Emperor Antoku committed suicide by drowning himself in the sea and was buried at the Amida-ji temple. The Minamoto clan captured ladies of the court and some of whom were forced into prostitution. On the anniversary of Emperor Antoku's death, attired in high ranking court dress, these women often went to worship at a place that was to become the Akama shrine. The origin of the Shimonoseki Kaikyo Matsuri dates back to this custom.