Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported. Information provided by MOOK Editorial Department
Summer in Japan sees festivals held across the country, whether it’s Sendai with its Tanabata theme or the underwater fireworks display at World Heritage-listed Miyajima, all attracting numerous visitors to join in. In Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture, located along the Sea of Japan coast in the Chūgoku region, the largest local festival, the “Tottori Sakisara Festival,” will be held from August 11 to 15. During the event, nearly 4,000 people are expected to dance the “Sakisara Umbrella Dance” holding colorful paper umbrellas adorned with bells. Visitors can not only participate in the dancing but also enjoy a variety of local street food at food stalls throughout the festival. On the evening of August 15 at 20:00, a citizens’ summer fireworks display will bring the festival atmosphere to its climax.
The colorful Sakisara umbrellas are the most essential element of the Sakisara Festival. (Photo provided by MOOK Editorial Department)
The Tottori Sakisara Festival, which attracts around 70,000 visitors each year, features a five-day program starting August 11, including Sakisara umbrella dance experiences, performances by Japanese artists, group Sakisara umbrella dance parades, and a citizens’ summer fireworks show. The scale of the Tottori Sakisara Festival grows more spectacular each year. Nowadays, during the mass umbrella dance sessions, over 70 groups, comprising about 4,000 people dressed in traditional summer kimono—yukata—dance together, turning the entire city of Tottori into one giant stage where everyone becomes a skilled performer showcasing their hard-earned practice results.
The most important element of the festival, the “Sakisara umbrella,” is made by pasting washi paper onto the umbrella frame in concentric circles, then painted with pure red and blue primary colors by skilled artisans. Because the umbrella ribs are very thin and narrow, and must not puncture the paper surface, this is the most time-consuming part of the process. Next, dazzling gold and silver paper pieces are attached to make the Sakisara umbrella even more eye-catching. Finally, fifty small bells that produce sound as the umbrella moves are tied to each rib, with small sparkling ornaments and white paper tassels attached to the tips of each rib, completing the beautiful paper umbrella.
Nearly 4,000 people dancing the Sakisara umbrella dance together—a spectacular sight that draws 70,000 visitors to the festival every year. (Photo provided by MOOK Editorial Department)
In 1961 (Showa 36), to revitalize Tottori City’s commerce and industry, the annual festivals of the Shinsen Shrine and Omori Shrine were merged into the “Tottori Festival.” To give more residents the opportunity to participate, after researching various sources, organizers discovered an ancient rain-invoking folk dance from eastern Tottori called the “Inaba Umbrella Dance,” which was simple in form yet versatile, making it a very accessible and popular dance. This umbrella dance was then incorporated into the festival program. The name “Sakisara Festival” comes from the bells hanging from the umbrellas used in the dance, which jingle with every movement, hence the name “Tottori Sakisara Festival.” It wasn’t until 30 years later, in 1991 (Heisei 3), that the music “Yoshioka Min’yō” was added, forming the basic format of today’s Sakisara Festival.
● Read More: Another Summer Festival in Japan Heats Up – Underwater Fireworks Illuminate the Night Sky of World Heritage Miyajima
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