Sado has a long history of cultivating its own distinct island culture while welcoming culture from outside the island. Locals carefully hand their treasured folk performing arts and traditional events down from generation to generation. Onidaiko, or ondeko (demon drum dance), is an exemplary traditional performing art that is unique to Sado. Performed at numerous festivals all over the island, this art form serves as a prayer for good harvests, large fishing hauls, and safe households in the coming year, and a ritual to drive evil spirits away from the village’s houses. This year during EC, three groups who uphold Sado Island’s performing arts, including onidaiko, will travel door-to-door through the streets of Ogi, performing in front of homes in true festival style! Each group will end its tour at Kisaki Shrine with a performance. Come and enjoy the festive fun!

Aug. 18 (Sun) 　4:30–16:45

Start: Tennanso in Ogi Shopping Street Stops and performs at: Tennanso, Komasu-ya, Hinoo Shoten, Kisaki Shrine Finish: Kisaki Shrine

Shimokuji Onidaiko Preservation Society This group upholds the most prevalent style of onidaiko on Sado Island, where a pair of A-Un demons take turns to dance—one with an open mouth, one with a closed mouth, symbolizing the beginning and ending, birth and death.

Sansegawa Youth Group This group also upholds the style of onidaiko with a pair of A-Un demons that take turns to dance. Each village on Sado has a unique demon dance, with its own unique style and flair. We hope you’ll enjoy this variant, too.

Nishino Mamemaki Preservation Society Mame means “bean” and maki means “to scatter.” This group will perform a dance where the mamemaki (lit. bean scatterer; an old man clad in ancient formal court robes) dances with nimble steps as he teases demons weilding thin swords and sticks.

Free event