Takinomiya Nenbutsu Odori

Every August 25, three of Ayagawa's eleven dance troupes perform the Nenbutsu Odori at Takinomiya Shrine, then parade to nearby Takinomiya Tenmangu for one more performance. The dance is traced back to 889, when a prolonged drought finally broke after governor Sugawara no Michizane fasted and prayed for seven days. The joyful dancing that followed became an annual ritual, with Buddhist prayer elements added three centuries later by the reformer Honen. Dancers wear elaborate costumes and local children join in on drums. Once every five years, all eleven troupes perform together in the So-odori.