Flower hats and drums carry on Yashiro’s ceremonial dance, held every 7th year
Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every 7th year, August 26 / Every 7th year
- Location
- Nishisho Shrine
- Area
- Yamaguchi Prefecture・Shunan City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori, passed down in Yashiro, Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a folk performing art presented at the Hassaku Wind-Calming Festival at Nishisho Shrine. Dancers wearing flower hats perform to the accompaniment of drums and festival music, preserving the traditional performing arts of the region.
About Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori
Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori is a folk performing art presented at the Hassaku Wind-Calming Festival at Nishisho Shrine in Yashiro, Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Also known as “Hana Odori,” it is said to have been passed down in the Uogiri district for more than 400 years.
It is said to be a dance offered as memorial rites for Ouchi Yoshitaka, though other accounts of its origins also remain.
Its cycle of being presented every 7th year is also a major feature of this performing art.
Source: 山口県/観光スポーツ文化部文化振興課/文化財・山口県の文化財 / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
A highlight is the dance’s structure: after the stick dance by the Michiwake performers, dancers led by the Choshi and Chosho form two concentric circles and dance.
Male dancers perform in the inner circle and young women in the outer circle, accompanied by festival music including the large shime-daiko drum.
Nine pieces have been passed down, including “Hana no Odori,” “Roku Choshi Odori,” “Shiki no Odori,” and “Ushiwaka Odori.”
The costumes and objects, including flower hats, jinbaori coats, and lanterns, convey the traditional character of this performing art.
Flower hats and drums carry on Yashiro’s ceremonial dance, held every 7th year
What to expect
For the dedication, a procession gathers in the center of the Uogiri district and heads to Nishisho Shrine in the following order: Michiwake performers, the large flower lantern, the large shime-daiko drum, musicians, lead singers, and dancers.
The Michiwake performers clear the dance area while swinging sticks, after which the dancers enter.
Male dancers and young women form two concentric circles and perform the nine dance sections in sequence.
The procession is said to begin before sunset, with a scene of participants heading to the shrine under the protection of lanterns also passed down.
Source: 山口県/観光スポーツ文化部文化振興課/文化財・山口県の文化財
How to take part
There are clear traditional requirements for participating as a dancer.
Dancers of both sexes are said to be limited to unmarried people, while the unmarried eldest sons serve as the chōji and chōshō, who guide the dancers.
As the festival takes place once every 7 years, it is also said that a person may have only one chance in their lifetime to become a dancer.
Whether members of the general public can join the dance should be confirmed in the event information at the time.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Presented at Nishisho Shrine (Yashiro, Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture).
Address Yashiro, Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Dates and season
According to tradition, it is dedicated at the Hassa-ku Wind-Quieting Festival at Nishidokoro Shrine on August 26 every 7th year.
As this performance takes place only on limited dates, anyone planning to watch should check in advance whether it is scheduled for that 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 Yamaguchi Prefecture / Shunan City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The dedication takes place only every 7th year, so it may not be possible to see it every year like a regular festival.
The procession is said to begin before sunset and head to the shrine under the protection of lanterns, so please take care not to obstruct its movement when watching.
Tradition sets conditions for dancers, such as being unmarried, and members of the public may not necessarily be able to participate as performers.
Nearby attractions
万葉の森
山口県周南市
周南市美術博物館
山口県周南市にある美術博物館
回天記念館
山口県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori
Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori is said to have been passed down in the Uogiri district for more than 400 years.
One account of its origins says it was a dance offered by the people as memorial rites for Ouchi Yoshitaka after his tragic end; another says that Sue Harutaka lured Yoshitaka out from the inner rooms of his residence with a lavish dance.
It is said that the dance was once performed on the first day of Hassaku in August every 7th year, and that after the Meiji era it came to be performed at the Hassaku Wind-Calming Festival at Nishisho Shrine in August 26.
Official information
Information about its cultural heritage designation can be found in Yamaguchi Prefecture’s cultural property records, the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ National Cultural Properties Database, and Heritage Online.
Yamaguchi Prefecture’s guide introduces it as an intangible folk cultural property of Shunan City.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ database lists it as a performing art selected in 1971 as an “intangible folk cultural property for which measures such as documentation should be undertaken.”
Source: 八代の花笠踊 文化遺産オンライン
Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori at a Glance
Yashiro no Hanagasa Odori is a folk performing art with a long history of tradition, presented at the Hassaku Wind-Calming Festival held every 7th year at Nishisho Shrine in Yashiro, Shunan City.
Following the stick dance, male and female dancers form two concentric circles and perform nine pieces to the accompaniment of drums and festival music.
It is associated with a tradition of memorial rites for Ouchi Yoshitaka, as well as another account of its origins; its history, passed down through the community, is itself a highlight.
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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