Every year on August 21st, the “Ohana Festival” held within the precincts of Hiyoshi Shrine in Kitaotoshi features a dance that is brisk, majestic, and splendid. The origin of the dance is unknown, but legend has it that it became a rain-invoking ritual inspired by villagers’ longing for water and the tragic tale of a beautiful woman named Ohana, who took her own life after breaking a promise with the dragon god. Young dancers perform with drums on their chests and horo on their backs, surrounded by children in yukata and adults in white juban, expressing the villagers’ joy at receiving benevolent rain. The performance consists of a sequence of five dances—Bahiro, Michikusa, and others—structured from beginning to end.