Shan-shan festival
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[edit] Tottori City's Shan Shan Festival (Kasa-Odori)
The Bon-odori (dance), which is danced during the Obon Festival, is widely enjoyed by the people in Tottori during the summer. There are various bon-dances throughout Japan, and the bon-odori danced in Tottori can be categorized into the Kasa-odori (dance with a paper umbrellas) and the te-odori (hand dance).
The Kasa-odori is very popular in the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. According to the legend in Kokufu Town, in the Edo Period (A.D. 1603-1867) during a drought, an old man named Gorosaku danced with an umbrella (kasa) for the village God praying for rain. Gorosaku danced with the umbrella until he died, and the drought ended. These days, the dance is performed with ornamented paper umbrellas and Japanese swords, which represent the beautiful but gallant local culture of Tottori.