Muroto's offering dance, resounding with gratitude to the sea and prayers for a good catch
Shittoroto Odori
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The 10th day of the sixth month in the lunar calendar (the day of Ryugu Festival) / Every year
- Location
- Shrines and temples in the former Muroto Town area
- Area
- Kochi Prefecture・Muroto City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 40 min · flight time only)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Required number of participants
- Around 30 people in total
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Shittoroto Odori has been passed down alongside Muroto's fishing culture. On Ryugu Festival day, the 10th day of the sixth month in the lunar calendar, the dance is performed as an offering at shrines and temples to the accompaniment of chants, gongs, and drums.
About Shittoroto Odori
Shittoroto Odori is a folk performing art passed down in Muroto City, Kochi Prefecture.
On Ryugu Festival day, the 10th day of the sixth month in the lunar calendar, people involved in fishing gather to offer the dance in prayer for the souls of fish and for a good catch.
It has also been passed down as one of the annual events of the Muroto Fisheries Cooperative, and is a local traditional event closely connected to life by the sea and fishing.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース / シットロト祭り（室戸）
Festival highlights
One highlight is the sight of dancers wearing matching and woven hats as they play gongs and drums to the chant.
The drummers wear red sashes, and five-colored paper decorations are attached to their woven hats.
Of the lyrics, which once had forty-eight verses, fourteen have been passed down to the present day. The performance begins with “Mazu isoge” and concludes with “Hiki-odori.”
Muroto's offering dance, resounding with gratitude to the sea and prayers for a good catch
What to expect
The dance begins at the home of the chant leader in Narashi, then visits shrines and temples in the former Muroto Town area to offer the performance.
The group consists of around thirty people in total: one chant leader, one drummer, one gong player, and dancers. They dance while keeping time with gongs and drums to the singing.
It is passed down as a traditional performing art that takes place from early morning throughout the day.
How to take part
必要人数：総勢三十名前後
Location and access
- Venue and address
The dance is offered at shrines and temples in the former Muroto Town area of Muroto City.
The starting point is the home of the chant leader in Narashi.
Event venue 高知県室戸市 旧室戸町内の神社や仏閣
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
The 10th day of the sixth month in the lunar calendar (the day of Ryugu Festival)
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Kochi Prefecture / Muroto City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The event begins early in the morning, with offerings made at shrines and temples throughout the former Muroto Town area.
If you attend, please respect the local event and watch quietly, taking care not to obstruct the dancers as they make their offerings or move between locations.
Nearby attractions
むろと廃校水族館
高知県室戸市の水族館
Origins and History of Shittoroto Odori
Shittoroto Odori is a dance passed down in close connection with Muroto's fishing industry.
There are several accounts of its origins, including a story that fishermen danced during a poor catch at the end of the Edo period, and a theory that a bountiful catch was brought about as thanks to fishermen who saved a mermaid.
In 1963, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kochi Prefecture; in 1974, it was selected as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property for which measures such as documentation should be undertaken.
Official information
An overview and the origins of the event are introduced on Muroto City's official website under “Shittoroto Festival (Muroto).”
Its cultural property status can also be confirmed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties and Kochi Prefecture's list of cultural properties.
Source: 県指定 民俗文化財 | 高知県
Shittoroto Odori at a Glance
Shittoroto Odori is a folk performing art offered during Ryugu Festival in Muroto City on the 10th day of the sixth month in the lunar calendar, expressing the community's feelings for fishing and the sea.
Dancers in yukata and woven hats dance to chants, gongs, and drums, visiting shrines and temples in the former Muroto Town area.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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