At Karo’s Nakizumo Festival, babies are brought into the sumo ring and coaxed to cry – a seemingly comic rite rooted in the old belief that loud tears bring health, strength, and good fortune.
Tottori Prefecture
Misasa Onsen Hanayu Festival (Misasa no Jinsho)
In Misasa Onsen, Hanayu Matsuri builds slowly – rope-making, prayer, procession – before the town gives itself over to the jinsho, a colossal tug of war between east and west fought beneath the lights of the main street.
Tottori Shan-Shan Festival
Each August during Obon, thousands of dancers carrying jangling umbrellas sweep through central Tottori in choreographed waves, transforming the city into a shifting field of colour, bells, and collective rhythm.