It is said that the tiger dance originated in the middle of the 1800s, about 170 years ago, when an unusually long drought persisted and the tiger dance was performed to pray for rain. The tiger dance was suspended after WWII, but was revived by the Toyono Village Youth Group around 1975, and has been continued by the Preservation Association since then. The current tiger dancers are the third generation (formed in 1975) and the fourth generation (formed in 1997). It is now being taught to the Children’s Association of Miyagawa to ensure successors. It has been performed in the Miyagawa area to pray for rain when there is a shortage of water after rice planting.