Dekansho Festival

Festival highlights

The highlight is the Grand Dance around the huge wooden yagura erected in the center of the venue.

To the live singing and music from atop the yagura, dancers form many concentric circles.

Contests, presentations of the traditional style of Dekansho-bushi, nighttime fireworks, and a street lined with around 180 stalls also bring the festival to life.

A summer festival in Tamba-Sasayama, where the circles of Dekansho-bushi dancers bring the former castle town to life

What to expect

At the festival, visitors can learn the Dekansho-bushi dance at dance workshops and enjoy contests, performances, and presentations of the traditional style of Dekansho-bushi.

From the evening onward, the Yagura Grand Dance takes center stage, with large circles forming to the rhythm of the calls.

Between the Grand Dance sessions, Sasayama Ondo and fireworks displays take place, and visitors can also enjoy the street stalls and food stall village.

Source: 祭の概要 - デカンショ祭

How to take part

The Yagura group dance is open to everyone, and general visitors can join the circle of dancers.

If you’re unsure how to dance, you can receive instruction from Preservation Society instructors at a dance workshop held at the venue.

Events featuring performers, such as the dance competition and junior showcase, can be enjoyed as a spectator.

If you’d like to join in, take part in the dance workshop at the venue, then join the Yagura group dance.

According to the 2026 information, the Yagura group dance is open to everyone.

Location and access

Venue and address

Around Sannomaru Square at the Sasayama Castle Ruins (31 Kitashinmachi, Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture)

Train and bus

From Sasayamaguchi Station on the JR Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line), head toward the city center.

August 15, 2026 and the 16th: Wing Shinki buses will be rerouted and will not stop at Johokuguchi, Sasayama Gofukumachi, Kasuga-jinja-mae, or Nikaimachi.

Shuttle buses linking the temporary parking lots will also run every 20 minutes.

By car

From the Osaka area, head toward central Tamba-Sasayama via the Yoshikawa Junction on the Chugoku Expressway and the Tannan-Sasayamaguchi Interchange on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway.

Roads near the venue become pedestrian-only from either 5:30 p.m. or 5 p.m.

Parking

The Sannomaru West Parking Lot is unavailable from August 5, 2026 through the 18th, and the Otemae South Parking Lot and others are unavailable from August 12 through the 17th.

Information is available on using nearby municipal and temporary parking lots.

Source: アクセス - デカンショ祭 / 8月5日～8月18日 デカンショ祭に伴う駐車場・交通規制について | 丹波篠山市公式観光サイト『ぐるり！丹波篠山』丹波篠山市公式観光サイト『ぐるり！丹波篠山』

Address 31 Kitashinmachi, Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

In 2026, the festival was held on August 15 (Saturday) and the 16th (Sunday).

The schedule was 3 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. on the 15th and 4:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the 16th, with dance workshops, the Yagura Grand Dance, and fireworks scheduled on both days.

The event period has now ended.

Source: 皆様ありがとうございました - デカンショ祭

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Tips for your visit

In 2026, parking lots near the venue were closed and traffic restrictions were put in place. From the evening onward, there were periods when vehicles could not enter or leave.

Local buses will also be rerouted and skip several stops, so check service information, including for the return journey.

If traveling by car, consider using nearby municipal or temporary parking lots and the shuttle bus.

Nearby attractions

At the festival venue, Sasayama Castle Ruins, visitors can still enter and tour Sasayama Castle Ruins and the Sasayama Castle Oshoin Hall during the festival.

Information also indicates that Aoyama Historical Village is open to visitors.

Before and after the festival, you can enjoy a walk through the former castle town of Sasayama, taking in its lanterns and the decorations along the shopping streets.

Castles and historic sitesTamba-Sasayama City

篠山城

兵庫県丹波篠山市にある城跡

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写真：Baku13 / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Dekansho Festival

Dekansho Festival began in 1952, bringing together Bon Odori and folk music events that had been held separately in different districts of the former town of Sasayama, as a tourism and Bon Odori event for the entire town.

The Dekansho-bushi song at the heart of the festival is said to have roots in songs such as “Ofune-bushi,” sung by foot soldiers of the Sasayama Domain.

During the Meiji period, the song spread throughout Japan through students from Sasayama, and its lyrics have also incorporated local specialties and history.

Official information

Official information is available on the Dekansho Festival website.

You can check the event overview, directions to the venue, and information about the day’s events and traffic.

After the 2026 festival, a report on the 73rd festival was also published on the official website.

Dekansho Festival at a Glance

Dekansho Festival is a Bon Odori festival in Tamba-Sasayama, centered on the Yagura Grand Dance, where people dance to the Dekansho-bushi folk song. Visitors can also enjoy performances, contests, fireworks, and a street lined with evening stalls.

In 2026, it was held on August 15 and 16 around the Sannomaru Plaza at Sasayama Castle Ruins. Information said that anyone could join the Grand Dance.

Traffic restrictions and parking lot closures are in place around the venue, so public transportation or shuttle buses are convenient.