The Sagi Mai, or Heron Dance, is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property performed at Yasaka Shrine in the charming castle town of Tsuwano. Performers wear spectacular white feathered costumes and golden beaked headdresses to embody sacred herons in a slow, hypnotic dance dating back to the Muromachi period. The festival procession winds through cobblestone streets lined with carp-filled waterways, creating an unforgettable visual spectacle.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- Late July
- Region
- Chugoku
- Prefecture
- Shimane
- City
- Tsuwano
Highlights
- ◆600-year-old nationally protected ritual dance
- ◆Elaborate white heron feather costumes
- ◆Procession through Tsuwano's historic carp-stream lanes
- ◆Yasaka Shrine ceremonial setting
- ◆Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property