Streets fill with folk songs, dances, and lion performances, culminating in a communal circle dance accompanied by the rhythmic playing of a bamboo whisk instrument.
The Kokiriko Festival showcases traditional performances of the "Kokiriko" folk song, along with various other Gokayama folk songs and dances. The streets of the Kaminashi district are filled with vendors and the Kokiriko Hall hosts a folk song stage. Lion dances (shishimai) are also performed. The festival culminates in a Mass Kokiriko Dance, where locals and visitors alike form a circle and dance the Kokiriko, accompanied by the playing of the bamboo whisk instrument, called the sasara.
The Johana Mugiya Festival celebrates Mugiya-bushi, a historic folk song and dance rooted in Gokayama's rural heritage, with costumed dancers and traditional instruments.
The Gokayama Mugiya Festival features Mugiya-bushi, a folk song and dance tradition rooted in the Heike clan, designated as Japan's Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Japan's only national competition for chindon performers, a traditional street performance art that emerged in the 19th century to promote shop openings through music and costumes.
Each autumn in western Shimane, shrine stages host Iwami Kagura – sacred dances performed through the night, from ceremonial pieces to a battle with a serpent.