An elegant, traditional dance traced by white heron wings through Tsuwano’s castle town
Sagi Mai at Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine
The 2026 edition of Sagi Mai at Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/20 〜 2026/07/27Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year in July / Every year
- Location
- The procession route from Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine to the (including Tonomachi Street)
- Area
- Shimane Prefecture・Tsuwano Town(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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A traditional event at Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine, where male and female herons spread their white wings and dance to the sound of drums and flutes. It accompanies the procession, preserving the performance traditions of the old Kyoto Gion Festival to this day.
About Sagi Mai at Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine
A dance performed as an offering at the festival of Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine, featuring costumes modeled on white herons.
Performers portraying a male and female heron dance to the music and vocals, accompanied by drums, flutes, hand drums, and gongs, while accompanying the mikoshi procession.
This traditional event, representative of Tsuwano, is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース / 今日の一枚～鷺舞会場（令和８年９月18日） | 津和野町
Festival highlights
A highlight is the sight of the male and female herons, with white wings on their backs, facing one another and dancing in a circle with their wings spread.
The stick-swinger slowly circles around the herons and kakko performers, while the kakko performers hold their positions and make distinctive movements.
The white costumes, heron heads about 1 meter long, and music played on drums, flutes, hand drums, and gongs create the atmosphere of an ancient-style dance.
An elegant, traditional dance traced by white heron wings through Tsuwano’s castle town
What to expect
Sagi Mai accompanies the mikoshi procession and is performed along the way during the procession from the main shrine to the otabisho and the procession returning from the otabisho to the main shrine.
The procession includes a stick-swinger, male and female herons, kakko drums, transverse flutes, small hand drums, shime-daiko drums, and gongs. The dance is offered at designated locations.
After the music, a call signals the performers, who each make distinct movements and bring the dance to a close.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The procession route from Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine to the otabisho.
The streets and corners of the town, as well as Tonomachi Street, become venues for the Sagi Mai dance.
Source: 弥栄神社 | 津和野町
Event venue 島根県津和野町 津和野弥栄神社から御旅所までの巡行路
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 schedule was announced for July 20 and July 27.
July 20 is the togyo procession from the main shrine to the otabisho, while July 27 is the kangyo procession returning from the otabisho to the main shrine. Sagi Mai is offered during each procession.
This event is usually held on two separate days.
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 Shimane Prefecture / Tsuwano Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
太皷谷稲成神社
島根県鹿足郡津和野町にある神社
安野光雅美術館
島根県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
桑原史成写真美術館
島根県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
森鷗外記念館
島根県津和野町にある文学館
津和野町郷土館
島根県津和野町にある博物館
Origins and History of Sagi Mai at Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine
Sagi Mai was performed long ago at Kyoto’s Gion Festival. It is said to have been brought to Yamaguchi during the Muromachi period and later passed on to the festival of Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine.
According to the Tsuwano Culture Portal, Yoshimi Masayori is said to have introduced the dance in Tsuwano in 1542. It reportedly stopped for a time after the Battle of Sekigahara, but was revived in the early Edo period.
It has continued to be passed down by preservation groups and others. In 1994, it was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and in 2022 it was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Source: 津和野弥栄神社の鷺舞｜津和野文化ポータル
Official information
The annual events guide for Yasaka Shrine provides information on events and activities in 2026.
An explanation of Sagi Mai as a cultural property is also available in the Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties.
Source: 年中行事 – 弥栄神社
Sagi Mai at Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine at a Glance
The Sagi Mai dance of Tsuwano Yasaka Shrine is a traditional performing art representative of Tsuwano, presented as it accompanies the mikoshi procession.
The male and female herons with outspread white wings, along with the stick-swinger, kakko drum performers, and musicians, come together to create an ancient-style dance.
The 2026 schedule was announced for July 20 and the 27th.
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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