Nishimonai Bon Dance: Graceful Indigo-Dyed Costume Dance at Japan's Three Great Bon Festivals

The "Nishimonai Bon Dance," held every year from August 16 to 18 in Ugo Town, Ogachi District, Akita Prefecture, is a traditional event counted as one of Japan's Three Great Bon Dances alongside Gujo Odori in Gifu and Awa Odori in Tokushima. Said to have a history of about 700 years, it is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Carried by plaintive music, the dancers move with an elegant, flowing grace that holds a quiet, otherworldly beauty quite different from the more vigorous festivals.

A Bon Dance in Memory of the Departed

There are several theories about the origin of the Nishimonai Bon Dance, but it is said that a dance praying for a good harvest and a Bon dance to console the souls of the dead came together into the form seen today. Over its long history it has been carefully handed down by local people, and it became established as an event for welcoming and remembering ancestral spirits at the time of Bon. The melancholy melody and the dance carry both feelings for those who have passed and an attachment to the home town. Even as it has become a tourist attraction, it has not lost the simplicity rooted in local faith and daily life, and that is a great part of this Bon dance's appeal.

Hanui Costumes and Hikosa Zukin Hoods

What symbolizes the Nishimonai Bon Dance is the dancers' attire. Many of the women wear a gorgeous costume called a "hanui" garment, made by sewing pieces of silk together in geometric patterns. Made from scraps of silk handed down through the generations, each one has a different pattern, beautiful and eye-catching. In addition, the dancers hide their faces deeply behind a black hood called a "hikosa zukin" or behind a woven straw hat. Dancing with hidden faces creates a mysterious atmosphere, as though this world and the next were meeting, drawing onlookers into a world of illusion.

Characteristics

• Hanui (Patchwork-Stitch) Costume: Unique costume sewn together from various fabrics
• Indigo-Dyed Yukata: Dancers dressed in deep indigo-colored summer kimono
• Hikosa Hood: Distinctive deep hood concealing the dancers' faces
• Dance Style: Graceful dance to a melancholic, leisurely melody

Best Season and Access

It is held every year from August 16 to 18, and visiting during this period lets you watch the real, otherworldly dance. The night-time dancing lit by bonfires is especially dreamlike, and it draws many spectators. For access, the usual route is to take a bus or taxi from "Yuzawa Station" on the JR Ou Main Line to the venue in Ugo Town. It gets crowded during the festival, so securing a viewing spot early is recommended. As this is a summer evening event, insect repellent and something to throw on will put your mind at ease. Do take the time to quietly savor this beautiful Bon dance rooted in its community. Spectators watch from outside the dance circle, and participants are expected to wear yukata.

Practical Information for the Festival (2026)

• Dates and times: Sunday August 16 to Tuesday August 18, 2026. On the 16th and 17th 19:30 to 22:30, and on the 18th 19:30 to 23:00
• Best time to watch: the first half is centered on children's dancing, and the adult dancers come together only after 21:00. If you want to feel the original, bewitching atmosphere, the later hours are the time to aim for
• Venue: Nishimonai Hon-machi Street (Aza Hon-machi, Nishimonai, Ugo Town)
• Nearest station: about 15 minutes by car from Yuzawa Station on the JR Ou Main Line (not within walking distance)
• Tiered seating: front masu box seats, side seats and viewing seats (tiered seats and folding chairs) 3,000 yen per seat; partitioned benches (bench seating three) 7,000 yen each. Advance sales (deadline May 31) and group sales (deadline July 1) have both ended, and only same-day tickets are available now. Same-day tickets are sold on a first-come basis from 16:00 each day at the special sales counter inside the Nishimonai Bon Odori Hall (cash only)
• Parking: cars 1,000 yen / motorcycles 500 yen / large and medium buses 12,000 yen / microbuses 7,000 yen. Car parks often fill up around 20:00 to 21:00, so arriving early is recommended
• Shuttle bus: operated (the timetable is posted on the Ugo Town Tourism and Products Association's official site)
• Traffic restrictions: 16:00 to 23:30 (until 24:00 on the 18th only)
• In case of rain: the venue changes to the Ugo Town Gymnasium. This is announced at 14:00 on the day, and in that case all seats are paid (3,000 yen)
• Inquiries: 0183-78-4187

(Sources: Ugo Town Tourism and Products Association, Ugo Town official site, Akita Prefecture official tourism site)