Ryotsu Ebisu Festival

A festival in Ryotsu Ebisu featuring Ondeko (demon drumming) performed by children

Ryotsu Ebisu Festival is held on the 15th and 16th of June every year. It is the annual, grand festival of Suwa Shrine, which enshrines a tutelary god of the Ebisu area. The area around Ryotsu Ebisu Shopping Street bustles with spectators. The eve of the festival, the 15th, features a big tug-of-war challenge, Ondeko performed by different groups, and food stalls. The wide range of entertainment on the 16th includes a big portable shrine parade, Ondeko, Ondeko performed by children, Shihimai (lion dance), Otomemai (girls' dance), Sagariha ensemble music, and so on.  Ryotsu Jinku (folk song and dance), which is a leisurely performance, evokes a distinctive mood.