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Matthew Haswell | profile | all galleries >> Japan 日本 >> Japanese Festivals 日本の祭り >> Tottori Shan Shan Matsuri 鳥取しゃんしゃん祭 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri 青森ねぶた祭 | Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri 弘前ねぷた祭 | Goshogawara Tachineputa Matsuri 五所川原立佞武多 | Akita Kantō Matsuri 秋田竿燈祭 | Nagoya Matsuri 名古屋祭り | Hirokōji Natsu Matsuri in Nagoya 広小路夏祭り | Arimatsu Shibori Matsuri 有松絞り祭 | Hime-no-miya Matsuri in Inuyama 犬山の姫の宮祭り | Hōnen Matsuri in Komaki 小牧の豊年祭 | Ichinomiya Tanabata Matsuri 一宮七夕祭り | Hikone-jō Matsuri 彦根城祭り | Tottori Shan Shan Matsuri 鳥取しゃんしゃん祭 | Hirado Jangara Matsuri 平戸ジャンガラ祭 | Naha Matsuri 那覇祭り

Tottori Shan Shan Matsuri 鳥取しゃんしゃん祭

The big summer festival of Tottori city held during the Obon holidays, the Shan Shan Matsuri features a procession of umbrella-wielding dancers that parade down the town's main street. The name of the festival comes from the "shan shan" noise that the paper umbrellas make as their decorative ornaments rattle. The origins of the festival are said to date back to a time of drought in the Edo period, when an old man named Gorosaku danced with an umbrella in honor of the local kami (god), in hopes that it would bring rain.
The parade participants arrive
The parade participants arrive		 Two main floats of the small parade
Two main floats of the small parade		 Palanquin beares
Palanquin beares		 Ornamented umbrellas atop the floats
Ornamented umbrellas atop the floats
Hard at work in the summer sun
Hard at work in the summer sun		 Unattended palanquin
Unattended palanquin		 Young local girls in yukata
Young local girls in yukata		 Posing with the town mascots
Posing with the town mascots
Introducing the Shan Shan Matsuri ambassadors
Introducing the Shan Shan Matsuri "ambassadors"		 A group of dancers walks up
A group of dancers walks up		 The parade begins
The parade begins		 Pulling the front float forward
Pulling the front float forward
Smiling faces on the float
Smiling faces on the float		 Carrying the palanquin forward
Carrying the palanquin forward		 Second float with watching dancers
Second float with watching dancers		 The umbrella dancers set up
The umbrella dancers set up
Participant with decorated signboard
Participant with decorated signboard		 Young umbrella dancer awaiting the start
Young umbrella dancer awaiting the start		 Group of kids with decorative umbrellas
Group of kids with decorative umbrellas		 A collective rattling of umbrellas
A collective rattling of umbrellas
The obligatory bow
The obligatory bow		 Girls dressed as shrine staff
Girls dressed as shrine staff		 And the dancing begins. . .
And the dancing begins. . .		 Group of Shan Shan dancers coming down the road
Group of Shan Shan dancers coming down the road
Rather spooky festival participant
Rather spooky festival participant		 Carrying the umbrellas forward
Carrying the umbrellas forward		 Raising the umbrellas high
Raising the umbrellas high		 Another group of dancers runs up
Another group of dancers runs up
Carrying an extra-large uchiwa (fan)
Carrying an extra-large uchiwa (fan)		 Group of youthful dancers and umbrellas
Group of youthful dancers and umbrellas		 Young girl in the group
Young girl in the group		 Up walks another dancer group
Up walks another dancer group
Young woman wielding her umbrella
Young woman wielding her umbrella		 Ready for the next dance
Ready for the next dance		 Older woman with umbrella
Older woman with umbrella		 Modern dance school group
Modern dance school group
Dance school group shaking their umbrellas
Dance school group shaking their umbrellas		 Ducking down behind the umbrellas
Ducking down behind the umbrellas		 Jogging up to the next position
Jogging up to the next position		 Modern dance girl under her umbrella
Modern dance girl under her umbrella
Feeling the summer heat
Feeling the summer heat		 And another group runs up
And another group runs up		 Moving forward between songs
Moving forward between songs		 Keeping the spectators cool
Keeping the spectators cool

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