At the first glance, it looks like a traditional Japanese umbrella, but the gaps in the canopy are giving away the fact that this is not a regular wagasa. Decorated with small bells and strips of paper, this colorful umbrella is used for dancing at the largest festival in Tottori, the Shan-Shan Festival. During the dance, the bells are making a “shan-shan” sound which actually gives the name of the festival.

Interestingly, the ritual from which the dance originated is not a “rain stopping” but a “rain making” ritual… Probably that’s why the umbrella has holes in it…

Kasa-odori, Tottori

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Unusual Japanese architecture, the Giant Lion Head from Namba