The Calendar of 
MapThe Calendar of the Yearly Festivals
087 087 Karo Shrine
Tottori City Karo Town Kita
Picture of the Kirin’s Head
Picture of the Shoujou’s Mask
| Date of the Festival | April-28 and 29 |
|---|---|
| Time for the Kirin Dance at the Shrine | Eve of the festival: 7 p.m./ Festival day: noon |
| Origin | Unknown |
| Characteristics | The town is bustling during the Hōenya Matsuri grand festival, which is held once every two years. The Kirin dance was designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture in 1998. |
| Area | Tottori City Karo Town Kita |
Introduction to the Shrine
Karo Shrine
The year of the shrine's founding is unknown. According to the history text "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku", the shrine deity was given its rank between Jōgan 3 (861) to Gangyō 2 (878). Therefore, the shrine appears to have a history of more than 1200 years.
■Deity of the Shrine
Ōyamazumi-no-Mikoto, Sarutahiko-no-Mikoto, Konohanasakuya-hime-no-Mikoto, Kibi-no-Makibi-no-Mikoto, Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto
■cultural property
[Kirin Dance]
Designated as a Tottori Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1998.
Designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2020.
[The Forest of Black Pine Trees around the Shrine]
Designated as a Tottori City Preserved Forest in 1978.
[Festival]
The spring festival parade ""Hōenya Matsuri"" was designated as a Tottori Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2008.
Access to the Shrine
Kita 1-chōme 1164, Karo Town, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture(MAP)
A five-minute walk from ""Karo Jinja Mae"" bus stop on the Karo Bus Line.
A ten-minute walk from ""Jinja Ura"" bus stop on the Karo Bus Line.
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.
