Location: Kunimi, Ota-cho, Daisen City
Site(s) of performance: Junkei-Jizōdō Temple, Cemetery Park, Kunimi-Hachiman Shrine, and other places in the community
Date(s): July 7 in the lunar calendar (the day of annual festival of Junkei-Jizōdō Temple, August 13 and 15 in the modern calendar, and some indefinite day for the closing of the lion dance season
Designation: Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folkloric Cultural Property
Category: Sasara and Horse Dance
The sasara dance of Kunimi goes back to old days, as is recorded on a scroll of ‘The Origin of Lion Dance of Obon,’ but the tradition was once interrupted before being revived in 1889. The dance was then copied from Dōnokuchi Sasara of Shiraiwa.
