Events

This festival, held on July 28 and 29 of every odd numbered year, is the largest of all the island's festivals. In the evening the omikoshi (a sacred palaquin carrying the god of the shrine) is brought out and carried through the streets by the young (and sometimes not-so-young) men of the town. Finally, the omikoshi is put on one of three huge fishing boats tied together for the event. Spectators can ride on the boats along with the omikoshi and enjoy kagura (traditional Japanese music) and a fireworks display while cruising around the bay for an hour.

This event is said to have taken place in the Mita and Urago districts for the last 100 to 150 years. Sharabune literally means "boat for the spirit of the dead." Constructed of wood and bamboo, the boats are colorfully decorated with strips of colored paper tied to the sails. Early in the morning on August 16, people load the boats with gifts for the spirits of their deceased ancestors, then tow the boats out to sea, sending back the spirits in grand style. This tradition is unique to Nishinoshima and is the highlight of the Obon festival every year.

This festival is held every odd numbered year on September 15. It is composed of three parts; Kami no Sumo (a sumo tournament), Shishimai (a ritual dance in the disguise of a lion), and Dengaku (a traditional dance). The traditional dengaku dance, locally called Shuhaira, is a nationally prominent form of entertainment that was appointed as a National Important Formless Folk Custom Cultural Asset in 1993.

The dengaku dance is said to have begun as a performing art to supress the various spirits of the rice fields. It spread to the provinces in the late Heian era and by written record, is said to have been dedicated to Nishinoshima's Mita Hachimangu Shrine in 1590. However, it is thought that the dance came to the island at an earlier date, passed along by oral instruction.

The dance lasts nearly 2 hours and the colorful costumes and music will leave viewers with a vivid memory of this tradition from the Middle Ages.

This event, held every even numbered year in October, is broken into three parts; Niwa no Mai (literally translated as "the garden dance"), Kami no Sumo (a sumo tournament), and Dengaku (a traditional dance). The garden dance is said to have been brought to Oki 800 years ago by a feudal lord escaping the upheavals of war on the mainland. This particular form of the dance is performed only on Nishinoshima and was also deemed a National Important Formless Folk Custom Cultural Asset in 1993.