Yoshidano Shishiodori is a lion dance that has been handed down in the Yoshidano area, west of Namioka, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture.
There are various theories concerning the origin of this dance, one of which concerns the Namioka Castle, the ruins of which still remain in Namioka. This castle was the stronghold of the Kitabatake clan, heroes of the Southern Dynasty of the Muromachi period (1336-1573). According to this theory, the Yoshidano Shishiodori dance derives from an event when the first lord of the castle brought dancers from Kyoto in order to pray for peace, victory and a good harvest for the territory. The dance takes the elegant form of Shikajishi, which is characterized by a buoyant movement and dapper footwork like that of deer.
In the past, it was customary to perform the dance as kagurajishi before the altar, dedicating three branches of the sakaki tree, on the 2nd day of the first month and the 15th day of the eighth month of the Lunar calendar, inviting families of Shinto priests and the like. Presently, the Shishiodori Preservation Society is in charge of the inheritance and dissemination of this dance and dedicates it to the gods at the grand festival of Towada
Shrine in the Yoshidano area.

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Aomori City , Aomori (Namioka-cho)
Related category: Art

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