Izumo Orochi Festival (August 12, November 3/ Hii-gawa River bank, main commercial street at the train station) The myth that has grown up around Hii-gawa River, flowing along the east part of Izumo city, goes like this: Hii-gawa River is the very place where Susano-no-mikoto, younger brother of the Sun goddess, Amaterasu-omikami, descended from heaven. He saw an old couple sobbing in deep sorrow there. He asked what's wrong with them. They told him that there is a monstrous snake with eight heads and eight tails which comes to take their daughters one by one every year, and the time has come when their last daughter would be taken by the snake, called Yamata-no-orochi. The young prince, boasting of his strength, made the snake drunk before killing it with his sword. At that moment, a sword came out from the snake's tail. This is Kusanagi-no-tsurugi sword, one of the three divine symbols of the Japanese Imperial throne. The Izumo Orochi Festival, which is held in summer and autumn every year, is associated with this myth. A big fire works festival at the Hii-gawa River bank in summer, and a dancing parade with a 10 meter monstrous snake in autumn, bring out the real feeling of the respective seasons.