The Shisamai, or lion dance, has been performed since ancient times throughout the prefecture's villages at festivals to bring on a good harvest and to drive out evil spirits from the villages. In Urasoe City the preservation associations of Jichaku, Nakanishi, and Uchima perform the dance on the 15th day of the 8th month of the old lunar calendar. The Jichaku Shisamai Dance has been designated as a Folk Performance Art by Japan. The Shisamai dances are performed on the full moon and are a spectacular sight for all to see.