Guide
Sarumai (Monkey Dance) is a traditional performing art passed down through Tokoji Hiyoshi Shrine in Shimada City, Shizuoka. It was designated as a Shizuoka Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1977. While monkeys often play supporting or comedic roles in typical Japanese festivals, in Sarumai, the monkey is the protagonist. Watching the monkeys, believed to be messengers of the gods, dance gracefully to the rhythm of music is a unique characteristic of this region.
Tokoji is an ancient Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect, said to have been founded by Jikaku Daishi in 830 AD. The Hiyoshi Shrine within the temple grounds maintains a tradition of worshipping monkeys as divine messengers, a belief linked to the Hiyoshi Shrine in Otsu, Shizuoka. The roots of Sarumai are thought to stem from the