Otarashi Hachimansha is the center of Shinto worship on the island. Built to venerate the deity Hachiman and connected to Usa Jingu, this shrine is the largest on Himeshima. Separated from the culture of the Kunisaki peninsula, the Bon dances performed on the island are unique to Himeshima. During the annual Obon festival in August over fifty unique dances are performed. In 2012 these dances were selected by the Japanese government as Intangible Folk Cultural Properties that need measures such as making records. Most famous is the Kitsune Bon dance, in which local children dress up as Japanese foxes (kitsune) and dance to the beat of a taiko drum while holding large paper umbrellas. Each year, the islanders regularly create new dances that they perform for visitors during the festival.