August 14 - 17

Kitsune

As part of Himeshima’s Obon Festival, the Kitsune Dance (or Odori) has gained widespread national popularity and is often featured on television. Kitsune Odori, literally translates as fox dance in English. It has been said that long ago the Kitsune Odori, were actually prayers to Amida Buddha in dance form to ward off evil spirits.

In this dance, boys of elementary school age dress in a long sleeved white under shirt, white long underwear, a long white tail and a “Mame-Shibori” (a white scarf with blue polka-dots) covering their heads which is tied beneath their chin, in their left hand they carry a red and white paper umbrella from which hangs a red and white paper lantern. Children are dressed as white foxes, dance barefoot and are headed by a Shoya who is dressed as a traditional ( Edo period) village headman.

[Aya] [Kitsune] [Zeni Daiko] [Sarumandayu]

Himeshima Statistics:

Circumference: 17.0km

Surface Area: 6.78km

Population: 2,727 (2001 census)

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