Uraja: Okayama's Summer Dance of the Ogre Legend

Every August the center of Okayama City hosts the Okayama Momotaro Festival, and its heart is Uraja, a dance festival built around a local legend about an ogre named Ura. Dancers with distinctive painted faces perform at stages and parade routes set up around Shimoishii Park, the Omotecho shopping arcade and Shiyakushosuji, the wide avenue leading to the city hall. On the final night everyone, including spectators and volunteer staff, joins a mass dance that closes the festival. Although it only began in 1994, Uraja has grown into one of the largest summer festivals in Okayama Prefecture.

Ogre Makeup and a City Full of Dancers

What identifies Uraja instantly is the makeup. Lines of red, blue and gold sweep from around the eyes across the cheeks, suggesting a demon mask and yet somehow solemn rather than frightening. The custom is said to derive from the ancient people of Kibi, who painted their faces in gratitude for a good harvest. Each dance team designs its own version afresh every year. On the parade routes, teams in matching costumes move in formation while the low beat of drums and their shouted calls bounce off office buildings.

A Finale Danced by Around 10,000 People

The climax comes on the evening of the second day at the parade venue on Shiyakushosuji. The closing dance, understood as returning the spirit of Ura to the heavens, is performed for about an hour by every dance team plus the audience and the backstage crew, roughly 10,000 people in total. Three pieces of music are used: the original Uraja theme, the Uraja ondo, and a song called Yui. The choreography is taught through videos on the official website. The area is divided into red, yellow and blue zones plus a gentler zone for those who want to take it slowly.

The Legend of Ura and the Theme of Coexistence

Ura, who gives the festival its name, is described as the leader of settlers from the continent who brought ironworking, shipbuilding and salt production to the Kibi region. After losing a struggle for control with the Yamato court he was recast as a demon, and he is often regarded as the origin of the ogre in the Momotaro tale. Even so, Ura is still enshrined in Okayama alongside the prince who defeated him, and the festival takes this history as the basis for its stated theme of coexistence and reconciliation. Most of the organizing work is done by volunteers, and dancers traditionally pick up litter together once the festival ends.

Tips for Visiting

Because the venues are spread across the city center, the efficient approach is to check the official venue list and timetable first and choose the stages or teams you most want to see. This is high summer outdoors, so a hat, sun protection and frequent drinks are essential for daytime performances. If you plan to join the closing dance, note that dancers must have both hands free, there is no baggage storage, and camera use inside the designated zones is restricted, so travel light.

Getting There

The main venues are all within walking distance of JR Okayama Station. Shimoishii Park and Shiyakushosuji are roughly a 10 to 15 minute walk southeast of the station's east exit, while the Omotecho arcade is served by tram stops on the city's streetcar line. With traffic restrictions on the main avenues during the festival, driving is best avoided.

Practical Information

• Dates: Two days, Saturday and Sunday, in August each year. The official site describes this as the third Saturday and Sunday of August, but the dates shift from year to year, so check the official announcement. In 2026 the festival was held on August 22 and 23.
• Venues: Shimoishii Park, Shiyakushosuji avenue, the Omotecho arcade, Haremachi-dori, Santa Hiroba, the Harenowa theater and other locations in Kita-ku, Okayama City
• Organizer and contact: Okayama Momotaro Festival operating committee office, 086-803-1332
• Admission: Free
• Access: 10 to 15 minutes on foot from JR Okayama Station, or a short walk from the city tram stops
• Parking: No dedicated parking is provided
• Traffic restrictions: In place on Shiyakushosuji, Haremachi-dori and other streets
• Official website: https://uraja.jp/

* Dates, details and prices are subject to change. Please check the official website before you go.

(Sources: Uraja official website, Okayama Kanko WEB operated by the Okayama Prefecture Tourism Federation, OKAYAMA KANKO.net official Okayama City tourism website)