White Heron Dance Performance

April 12, 2026, Public Holiday, Monday (Cancelled in case of rain)
First performance: [Departure from Denpoin Temple at 11:00 AM → Nakamise shopping street → Senso-ji Temple main hall] Performance begins at 11:30 AM in the plaza west of the main hall.
Second performance: [Departure from Denpoin Temple at 2:00 PM → Orange Street → Kaminarimon Street → Kaminarimon Gate → Nakamise Shopping Street → Senso-ji Temple Main Hall] Performance begins at 2:40 PM in the plaza west of the main hall.


The White Heron Dance is a revival of the "Heron Dance" found in the festival procession depicted in the "Asakusa Temple Keian Engi Emaki" (Illustrated Scroll of the Keian Era Origins of Senso-ji Temple) from 1652, which was created by the Asakusa Tourism Association in 1968 as a commemorative event for Tokyo's centennial.

The Heron Dance ritual originated at the Gion Festival of Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine and has been performed for over 1,100 years as a ritual to ward off plagues. It is said to have been very popular at one time, but it eventually ceased. Then, in 1369, when Ouchi Hikiyo invited the Yasaka Shrine from Kyoto to Yamaguchi and established it there, the dance was incorporated into the Yamaguchi Gion Festival. Later, in 1542, Yoshimi Masayori, the lord of Tsuwano Castle in Shimane Prefecture, moved it from Yamaguchi, and today it is famous throughout Japan.The "White Heron Dance" at Senso-ji Temple is based on the authentic Kyoto style and recreates the procession of the Keian-era relocation and memorial service festival. It features three warriors, one stick-wielder, one bird feeder, one person with a large umbrella, one white heron, 19 musicians, guardian children, and others, who dance and parade while playing the "White Heron Song."

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*This post automatically translated by google translator*