Kanekobara Mushi-okuri Odori (Insect-Banishing Dance)

About

On July 20 every year, the Kanekobara community of Yakami, Onan, sends crop pests out of the village and prays for a good harvest. Young people in flowered hats, yukata and red sashes, with drums tied at their waists, walk around a straw figure riding a horse, singing a distinctive insect-sending song and dancing at spots around town to drive the pests off. The figure is Saito Sanemori, a Heike warrior said to have been cut down after his feet caught on rice stubble in a paddy; the rite comforts his spirit and sends the insects away. It closes with a dance offering at Suwa Shrine and the burning of paper strips and hat decorations. Among the insect-banishing rites once held across Japan, this is said to be one of the few that keep the old form, and it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Shimane Prefecture in 1967.

Sources

• OfficialOnan Tourism Association ohnan-kanko.com
• OfficialShimane Tourism Association www.kankou-shimane.com

Last checked: Oct 11, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.

Other events this month

• Sagi-mai Heron Dance (Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival)
• Nijusanya Festival at Takuhi Shrine, Kamo
• Hirose Gion Festival