This lion dance of Uto consists of a pair of male and female lion dancers ( the male has two horns and the female has one ). The Chinese style lion dance was passed down from Nagasaki and first performed at Nishioka Shrine in 1740. It was dedicated to the shrine by the lord of the Uto domain , Hosokawa Okinori. The original style of the dance has been maintained since then by the Preservation Society of Honmachi 1-chome. Every year on the day of the Great Festival of Nishioka Shrine( October 19) the lion dance is performed as a dedication to the shrine with lion and peony floats parading through the town.