"Because I Love This Culture" - Passing Down Over a Century of Dance Tradition: Kazuren Lion Dance Practice Reaches Final Stages Before Shimotayori Shrine Festival on the 6th

In Nayoro, practice for the traditional "Kazuren Lion Dance" (Fuuren Shishimai) is reaching its final stages ahead of the regular festival of Shimotayori Shrine (下多寄神社) scheduled for the 6th. Young people and children from the community are practicing intensively every night to pass this cultural tradition, which boasts over 100 years of history, to the next generation. However, the group faces challenges with a shortage of successors. Hiroshi Yamaguchi, chairman of the Kazuren Lion Dance Preservation Society (風連獅子舞保存会), emphasizes the importance of continuing this heritage in the Shimotayori community.