26.5.13

Tottori Prefecture's Shan-Shan Festival and the legend of the Kasa Odori

The Kasa-odori is very popular in the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. According to a legend in Kokufu, in the Edo Period (1603–1868) during a drought, an old man named Gorosaku danced with an umbrella for the village god praying for rain. Gorosaku danced with the umbrella until he died, and the drought ended. These days, the dance is performed with ornamented paper umbrellas and Japanese swords, which represent the beautiful but gallant local culture of Tottori.

The Japanese Parasol Dance (Kasa Odori) is an example of a simple Japanese dance that uses an umbrella.

The dance is suited for girls making use of shuffling steps that is basic to a typical Japanese.

The Parasol Dance is from Kabuki.

The song played during the dance is called Mikado (a song in 4/4 time).

Costume: Bright colored Kimono, a parasol (umbrella), and Japanese wooden shoes. Similar to clogs.

The Bon-odori, a Japanese dance which is part of the Obon Festival, is widely enjoyed by the people in Tottori during the summer. There are various bon-dances throughout Japan, and the dances in Tottori can be categorized as Kasa-odori (a dance with a paper umbrellas) and te-odori (hand dance).

Kokufu (国府町 Kokufu-chō?) was a town located in Iwami District, Tottori, Japan.

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