Tottori Shan Shan Matsuri: Mass Umbrella Dance

For three days every August, the streets of Tottori City fill with the shimmer of bells and a moving ceiling of red and blue paper umbrellas. Tottori Shan Shan Matsuri is usually held from August 13 to 15, and its centrepiece is the mass umbrella dance on the second evening, when more than 4,000 dancers spin bamboo and paper umbrellas along the main avenues. At the 50th anniversary edition the festival set a Guinness World Record for the largest umbrella dance. It grew out of an older rain praying dance of the Inaba region.

The Mass Umbrella Dance

The heart of the festival is the Isseikasaodori, which begins in the late afternoon of the second day. The central shopping streets, Wakasa Kaido, Kataharadori, Chizu Kaido, Taiheisen Street and the avenue in front of the station, become the stage, and lines of dancers in matching costumes stretch block after block. At the signal several thousand umbrellas open at once and the bells on their ribs ring in a single wave of sound.

The dance runs in two parts. The first begins while the sky is still bright, so the red and blue of the paper shows at its most vivid; the second carries on after dark, when the umbrellas catch the street lighting and seem to glow from inside. When hundreds rotate in perfect time, the street ripples like one enormous sheet of cloth.

Umbrellas That Carry the Landscape

Each shanshan umbrella measures roughly 80 centimetres across and 120 centimetres long, made by hand from washi paper on a bamboo frame, painted red and blue and hung with gold and silver strips. Every colour has a meaning: the red and white outside stand for the Tottori Sand Dunes, the blue for the Sea of Japan, and the silver diamonds for fish leaping from the water. The red and gold at the centre stand for the energy of the crowd gathering into one ring, and the white paper at the top for a prayer for rain. Bells are set into the middle of the ribs, so every rotation produces a clear chime.

From Tottori Matsuri to Shan Shan

The festival began in 1961 as Tottori Matsuri, a commercial promotion event timed to the annual rites of Hijiri Shrine and Omori Shrine. Early editions were built around a parade and few residents took part, so organisers looked at the Inaba umbrella dance of the countryside.

In 1964 a new choreography was completed at the mayor's request and performed to mark the opening of the new city hall. From 1965 the dance was folded into the festival, which was renamed Shan Shan Matsuri. The name plays on two sounds: the bubbling of hot spring water and the ringing of the bells. Since 2006 a second dance has been added using the suzukko, a paddle shaped clapper fitted with six bells.

Tips for Visiting

The mass umbrella dance lasts close to four hours. For photographs, aim for the first part in daylight; for atmosphere, stay for the second under the lights. Crowds bunch up at intersections, so the middle of a block usually offers a calmer view. The closing fireworks display is held at Chiyogawara Citizens Sports Ground, away from the centre, so allow time to get there; recent editions have launched around 10,000 shells. August here is hot and humid, so bring water and a change of clothes.

Getting There

Everything happens within walking distance of JR Tottori Station. Fumon Hiroba is directly outside it, and the streets used for the umbrella dance are five to fifteen minutes on foot. Traffic restrictions are put in place separately for the opening evening and mass dance and again for the fireworks; the sections and times are published on the official website.

Practical Information

• Dates: usually August 13 to 15 (opening evening, mass umbrella dance, then the citizens' fireworks display). Each year's schedule is announced on the official website
• Venues: Fumon Hiroba in front of JR Tottori Station; Wakasa Kaido, Kataharadori, Chizu Kaido, Taiheisen Street and the station avenue; Chiyogawara Citizens Sports Ground for the fireworks
• Enquiries: Tottori Shan Shan Matsuri Promotion Association, tel. 0857-20-3210
• Access: immediately outside JR Tottori Station
• Parking: no dedicated visitor car park is announced; traffic restrictions apply, so use public transport
• Official website: https://tottori-shanshan.jp/

* Dates, details and prices are subject to change. Please check the official website before you go.

(Sources: Tottori Shan Shan Matsuri official website, Tottori City tourism official website)