The Makkaku Kagura is said to have been imparted to Toyosaka Inaba, a practitioner of Shintoism from Oguni in former Kawai village, by Tsumori Hyogo in 1819. The dance is dedicated to the gods at festivals every year, in August at the Kamo Shrine, and in September at the Niiyama Shrine on Mt. Hayachine. At the first Full Moon Festival of each year, the gongenmai dance is performed as part of a fire festival to pray for fire safety, along with around eight pieces of kagura to bring blessing to the region.
Historically, fishermen who worshipped Mt. Hayachine would call for the dancers to visit settlements along the Sanriku coast, and perform kagura to ask the gods for a rich haul and protection at sea.