Red and black demons beating drums and gongs dance through the streets of Kyoto's north in the Yasurai Matsuri, one of the city's 3 most curious festivals. In days of old, pestilence ran rampant every year when the cherry blossoms fell. Locals believed the 2 were linked, so with lively dances they lured deities of plagues under a bright umbrella to return them to the shrine for the year. Discover local beliefs through the lens of a festival that continues in this age of advanced medicine.