Ôtsuki Joden's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Shima no Senzai" was premiered in April 1905 at the Iseheirô, a famous ryôtei in Tôkyô. It was created to celebrate the shûmei of Mochizuki Tazaemon VII.

After WWII, it was revived in March 1957 at the Kabukiza [more details].

The dance "Shima no Senzai" centers on a shirabyôshi named Senzai, a female performer who appears in the formal attire of samurai and court nobles (hitatare, eboshi,...). Set on Hôrai Island, a mythical island of longetivity, the piece evokes an auspicious landscape where cranes and turtles—symbols of longevity—play beneath the rising sun. Drawing on Chinese legends of sacred waters and celebrated aquatic locales, the dance expresses themes of prosperity and renewal, celebrating the blessings of an unchanging and harmonious reign. It concludes on an auspicious note with imagery of inexhaustible spring water, symbolizing eternal vitality and abundance.

Shima no Senzai