Location: Shitakawara, Hanawa, Kazuno City
Site(s) of performance: Inari Shrine and other places in the community
Date(s): April 19
Designation: City-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property
Category: Sasara and Horse Dance
The Shitakawara Horse Dance is performed at Inari Shrine the day before its annual festival. Even though it is called a horse dance performance, in addition to horse dance per se, stick dances and yakko dances (samurai servants’ dances) are performed as well. From the community hall, which serves as the base for preparation where the performers change clothes and make other preparations, the performers march to the Inari Shrine. Horse dances were practiced widely in the Kazuno area, since horse breeding was an important industry here.
