Tottori’s Shan Shan Festival

Every August, 4,000 dancers parade down the street as they perform the Issei Kasa Odori. Spectators and festival stalls line the sides as troupes of dancers, young and old, perform both traditional and modern choreographed dance sets all night long to mark Tottori’s largest and most popular festival, the Shan Shan Festival. Born out of a desire to call the rain due to Tottori’s historically dry climate, the Shan Shan Festival’s umbrella dance has since become a symbol of community, joy, and the prefecture itself.