With the backdrop of Kurihara City's Sanno Historic Park with its famous iris garden, wit living history through the Michinoku Shishi Odori (Deer Dance). Besides being a popular folk performing art in the Tohoku region, it is also a group dance competition.
A Shishi Odori group comprises of 8 dancers and a leader, all of whom hold drums at the waist. Each costume weighs a hefty 15-20 kg. The deer masks called "shishi-gashira" are said to represent a mythical creature which is the messenger of the gods. The performers also have 2 long "Sasara" sticks on their backs, and a cloth draped around their bodies.
