Hitoichi Bon Odori

Festival highlights

One highlight is seeing dancers gather in the streets in a variety of costumes, including outfits representing monks, sumo wrestlers, oiran courtesans, and Western-style dress, as well as yukata.

Accompanied by large drums and flutes, the dancers form an oval and dance clockwise.

The festival preserves an older style without a yagura stage, and features a sequence of dances: the Dendenzuku Dance, the Kitasaka Dance, and the Sankatsu Dance.

Source: 一日市盆踊（ひといちぼんおどり） – 秋田民俗芸能アーカイブス

A summer night in Hachirogata, brought to life by costumes and 3 dances

What to expect

In the evening, the yose-daiko drums sound to signal the start of the dancing, and people begin to gather.

The dancing starts with the Dendenzuku Dance, followed by the Kitasaka Dance and the Sankatsu Dance; the sequence repeats until midnight.

The 2026 program included children’s and general divisions, as well as a competition for groups of various kinds.

Source: 8月20日の一日市盆踊りは予定通り開催します｜八郎潟町

How to take part

In addition to general viewing, visitors are invited to take part in the dance competition.

In 2026, categories included General Individual, General Group, and Out-of-Town, as well as a children’s category for parent-and-child participants.

Those wishing to participate should submit an application form to the event headquarters during the registration hours on the day.

If you wish to perform in the competition, submit the “Hitokaichi Bon Odori Dance Competition Entry Form” to the event headquarters between 7:20 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. on each event day.

The event headquarters will be set up in front of the Town Development Activity Center.

Application forms are available at the Hachirogata Town Office’s Industry Division and can also be downloaded from the information page.

Check participation details

Location and access

Venue and address

Hitokaichi Kamimachi Odori (Hitokaichi Shopping Street).

Train and bus

In front of Hachirogata Station on JR East’s Ōu Main Line.

It is a few minutes’ walk from the station.

By car

Traffic restrictions around Hitokaichi Kamimachi Odori are listed in the 2026 information as being in effect from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Take care when traveling through the area during restricted hours.

Source: 一日市の盆踊 - Wikipedia

Event venue 秋田県八郎潟町 一日市上町大通り

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

Open in Google Maps

Dates and season

2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)

The 2026 festival was scheduled to take place over 3 days, from August 18 through the 20th. The children’s division was scheduled for 7:20 p.m. and the general division for 8 p.m.

Hachirogata Town announced that the final day, August 20, would go ahead as planned.

In other years, it is also held from August 18 through the 20th.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

As the event takes place on the streets of Hitokaichi Kamimachi Odori, comfortable clothing and walking shoes are recommended.

Traffic restrictions are listed for 2026 from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., so if you will be driving through the area, pay attention to the restricted hours.

If you wish to participate as a dancer, make sure to complete the application process before registration closes on each day.

Origins and History of Hitoichi Bon Odori

The origins of Hitoichi Bon Odori are unclear, though one theory holds that it has been performed since the Muromachi period.

However, that theory is said to have no supporting evidence. It is said to have taken its present form around Kanbun 2 (1662), when a post station and an ondenma-sho (official relay station for horses) were established in Hachirogata Town.

There were once many different dances, and over the centuries they changed from dances meant to be watched into a form performed by the general public.

Official information

Details on the schedule, venue, and how to apply to participate are available on Hachirogata Town’s official website.

Hachirogata Town announced that the 2026 event would go ahead as planned on August 20.

The phone number for the Industry Division at Hachirogata Town Hall is also provided as a contact.

Hitoichi Bon Odori at a Glance

Hitoichi Bon Odori is a Bon dance passed down along Kamimachi Odori Street in Hachirogata Town and designated an Akita Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

A defining feature is seeing dancers in yukata and costumes perform to drums and flutes without a yagura stage.

In 2026, it was held from August 18 through the 20th, with divisions announced for individuals, groups, and parents and children to take part.