🏮 Kodomo no Hi Tango Gannin Odori

祝日：こどもの日端午願人踊

Hachirogata, Akita (Hitoichi Shrine) · Every year on 5 May

Traditional performing arts

233 days to go
Rooms around Hachirogata, Akita fill up while the festival is on.

The Gannin Odori (a folk dance) handed down in Hachirogata, Akita Prefecture, is a traditional performing art designated as an intangible folk cultural property of Akita Prefecture. Every year on May 5, Children's Day, a dedication dance is performed at the festival of Ichinichi Shrine in the town. The origin of this dance traces back to the gate-to-gate performances of gannin bozu (low-ranking monks) that were performed throughout the country during the Edo period, and it is said to have been introduced to Hachirogata about 300 years ago. In addition to the powerful and unrestrained dancing set to a fast rhythm, a comical skit featuring Sadakuro, the bandit from Act 5 of the Kabuki play Kanadehon Chushingura, and an old man named Yoichibei excites the audience. After the dedication at Ichinichi Shrine, the dancers go around making door-to-door performances at each house, bringing liveliness to the town.