The “Nishikubo Equinoctial Week Lion Dance” is an annual event held during the Spring Equinox. People of the area dedicate the dance to temples and shrines to pray for health and safety and to honor the memory of Buddha. A closely held secret performed only by local families’ eldest sons, the dance is now managed by the “Nishikubo Equinoctial Week Lion Preservation Society” and has been designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property by the town of Inawashiro.