At the beginning of Kunchi, the dance town leaders and performers receive a spiritual cleansing at Suwa Shrine and Yasaka Shrine to pray for a successful festival and start practicing their performances from this day. In the olden days, a hut was built where performers were spiritually cleansed and devoted themselves to practice, so this day is called entering the hut.

After Koyairi, dance towns will greet the people involved in Kunchi.

Kunchi-related organizations, including the Nagasaki Traditional Performing Arts Promotion Association, will see the practice and encourage the performers.

Congratulatory gifts given to the performers, in addition to costumes, props, and musical instruments used in performances, areput on display.

Performers show the dance town area people that theirperformance practice has finished with a dress rehearsal.

After completing performances in designated venues such as Suwa Shrine, each dance town will go around the city to present short dances with musical accompaniment in honor of the business establishments, government offices, and houses in the city.

The three Omikoshi, or portable shrines,Suwa, Sumiyoshi, and Morisaki,will descend from Suwa Shrine to the Otabisho.The people who carry the portable shrines are from the former Nagasaki village called MikoshiMoricho.

The KasabokoParade follows the “Okudari”procession. The appearance of the Kasaboko,which weigh more than 100 kilograms,spinningtogether is a powerful sight, and the cheers of “Mottekoi” and “Futoumaware” are heard.

The three temporary shrines return from the Otabisho to Suwa Shrine.

The appearance of the teams carrying the shrinesrunning up the slope called Kenchozaka and the stone steps of Suwa Shrine without stopping is impressive.

Press releases will be announcedabout the dance towns in early April, “Koyairi” and ticketinformation in late May, and “Niwamise” in late September.