The dance is said to have been handed down from about 300 years ago, when a man born in Boshu (present-day Chiba Prefecture) taught the shishi odori to the young people in Kuribayashi Sawada of Kamaishi, spreading out to the Kamiyo area. It is also called “Boshu Odori,” and it is presumed that the present dance was formed by fusing with the nembutsu odori that was originally handed down locally. One of the features of this dance is that they always sing a praise before dancing: praising the gate, the tatami room, and the inns that they stayed at. The dance is performed at the festivals of Otsuchi Inari Shrine, Kozuchi Shrine, the local Wano Daimyojin Shrine, Hachiman Shrine, and at Buddhist memorial services.