The Calendar of 
MapThe Calendar of the Yearly Festivals
106 106 Iwado Shrine
Tottori City Fukube Town Iwado
Picture of the Kirin’s Head
| Date of the Festival | Closest Saturday and Sunday to July-17 |
|---|---|
| Time for the Kirin Dance at the Shrine | Eve of the festival: 4 p.m./ Festival day: 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. |
| Origin | Around the early Shōwa era |
| Characteristics | The Kirin dances before the shrine deity in relatively slow movements. The dance lasts for approximately 40 minutes. To pray for safety at sea, a small Mikoshi portraying a boat accompanies the dance. |
| Area | Tottori City Fukube Town Iwado |
Related Information
Sites Associated with the Kirin Dances
Monuments around the Tottori Station
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Wooden Benches
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Sand Sculpture of Kirin
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Stone Sculpture of Kirin
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Tottori Toshogu in the Ouchidani Park
Tottori Toshogu was established by Mitsunaka Ikeda, a local lord, in the 17th century, and is a branch shrine of Nikko Toshogu. The shrine inherits the initial Kirin, which is now stored in the Tottori Prefectural Museum. During Gongen Matsuri, a festival in October, members of the Inaba Kirin Dance Club dance before the shrine’s deity, and a procession of a mikoshi (portable shrine) walks through to animate the festival.
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The Imeitei Pioneer Memorial Gallery of Hamasaka
Imeitei is a gallery remodeled by Shichikamaya Yashiki (Shichikamaya Mansion) of the Mori family, who until lately ran a sake-brewery. It is a historical and folk gallery where visitors can trace the footsteps of the pioneers living around the Shin-onsen Town. The head of the Kirin from the Utsuno Shrine is displayed in the gallery. It is designated as the town’s cultural heritage.
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Sora no Eki Park (Sky Station Park) at the Amarube Bridge
The origin of the Kirin from the Junisha Shrine, a shrine in adjacent to the Yoroi district, is the Kirin dance performed in the Iwami Town. This dance was a part of the inauguration of the Amarube Bridge at the end of the Meiji period. Visitors can see children’s drawings of the Kirin displayed in Sora no Eki at the Amarube Bridge and the park at the foot of the Amarube Crystal Tower. The roadside stations in vicinity are also worth sightseeing.
