The Kokiriko Festival showcases traditional performances of the "Kokiriko" folk song, along with various other Gokayama folk songs and dances. The streets of the Kaminashi district are filled with vendors and the Kokiriko Hall hosts a folk song stage. Lion dances (shishimai) are also performed. The festival culminates in a Mass Kokiriko Dance, where locals and visitors alike form a circle and dance the Kokiriko, accompanied by the playing of the bamboo whisk instrument, called the sasara.
The Johana Mugiya Festival celebrates Mugiya-bushi, a historic folk song and dance rooted in rural Gokayama, with costumed dancers and traditional instruments.
20 Sep 2027Exact date not confirmed yetNanto · Toyama
The Gokayama Mugiya Festival centers on Mugiya-bushi, a folk song and dance rooted in the Heike clan and designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
23 Sep 2027Exact date not confirmed yetNanto · Toyama
Each autumn in western Shimane, shrine stages host Iwami Kagura - sacred dances performed through the night, from ceremonial pieces to a battle with a serpent.