S P O T ／ SPOT-134
Folk & Ritual
Machiya Hyakuninshu — Giant Dragon Dance (Seno Shrine)
町屋百人衆 巨大龍踊り（千王神社）まちやひゃくにんしゅう きょだいりゅうおどり（せんのうじんじゃ）
A roughly 55-meter-long electric-lit giant dragon dance offered at the Gion festival of Seno Shrine in Kurima-Machiyacho, Tsu City. Local volunteers known as the 'Machiya Hyakuninshu' (literally 'Hundred Townspeople') carry the dragon along the old Ise highway and out to National Route 23 in the evening. A modern folk event that doubles as a rain-prayer and community-bonding rite, it now faces existential challenges as the preservation group ages and successors become scarce; crowdfunding campaigns have been launched to sustain it. This entry frames the dragon as both a powerful nighttime spectacle and a story of community succession.
N O P H O T O
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01A 55-meter electric dragon paraded down National Route 23
- 02Offered at Seno Shrine's Gion Festival every July
- 03Carried by local volunteers known as the 'Machiya Hyakuninshu' — at risk due to aging and lack of successors
A C C E S S ／ M E T A
Essentials
- Location
- Mie Prefecture Tsu City
- Address
- 三重県津市栗真町屋町946（千王神社）
- Fee
- 無料
- Hours
- 毎年7月の祇園祭（土曜夜）
- Status
- 現存（毎年7月開催／存続課題あり）