A nenbutsu dance passed down in Nanbu Town, performed to taiko and song with calm, measured movements
Komatsudani Bon Odori
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on the night of August 17 / Every year
- Location
- Beside Unkoji Temple in Minouchidani
- Area
- Tottori Prefecture・Nanbu Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 15 min–1 h 30 min · flight time only)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
The Komatsudani is an old form of Bon Odori passed down in Nanbu Town. The dancers form a circle and move quietly to the and singing.
About Komatsudani Bon Odori
The Komatsudani Bon Odori is an old form of Bon Odori passed down in areas including Minouchidani, Kaneda, Inoue, Takahime and Ichiyama in Nanbu Town.
One account says the lord of Komatsu Castle danced to comfort the farmers; another says it began as a nenbutsu dance at Unkoji Temple, where people danced carrying their ancestors’ mortuary tablets.
Every year on the night of August 17, the dance is performed beside Unkoji Temple in Minouchidani as the “Komatsudani Juushichiya Odori.”
It is also designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the straight-backed posture and distinctive steps of moving one foot back and bringing it forward again.
4 singers take turns singing to the taiko as the dancers form a circle around them and proceed clockwise.
This is a “still” dance, focused on comforting the spirits, with slow, unhurried movements.
In addition to the Komatsudani Bon Odori, the “Bamba Odori” is also performed.
A nenbutsu dance passed down in Nanbu Town, performed to taiko and song with calm, measured movements
What to expect
The dancers move to the taiko and singing, forming a circle around the singers and taiko and proceeding clockwise.
Turn your body diagonally to the right, take a step back, return, then step back with the other foot and face forward again, repeating the movements.
For each song, a sequence of movements is repeated 3 times, and the actual Bon Odori continues for several hours.
When presented as a short performance, it lasts 8 minutes.
How to take part
Ahead of the Bon Odori in the Komatsudani district, the preservation society holds instruction sessions for local residents who are not members.
The preservation society continues its efforts to pass the dance on to local residents.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Beside Unkoji Temple in Minouchidani, Minouchidani, Nanbu, Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture
- Train and bus
From JR Yonago Station, take the Hinomaru Bus’s Minouchidani Line or the Nanbu Town Community Bus’s circular route and get off at the Minouchidani bus stop; then walk 5 minutes.
- By car
From the Yonago-minami IC on the Sanin Expressway, via Izumo Kaido, National Route 181, Prefectural Routes 244, 316, 1 and 160
- Parking
Unkoji Temple parking lot
Address Minouchidani, Nanbu, Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on the night of August 17
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Tottori Prefecture / Nanbu Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
とっとり花回廊
鳥取県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
Origins and History of Komatsudani Bon Odori
There are several traditions about the origins of the Komatsudani Bon Odori.
One account says that the lord of Komatsu Castle opened the castle grounds on the seventeenth night of Obon and danced through the night with his retainers to comfort the farmers.
Another account says it began as a nenbutsu dance at Unkoji Temple, where people from nearby villages danced carrying their ancestors’ mortuary tablets. The dance is also said to have originated in the image of a Buddha ascending to heaven in gratitude for the memorial rites.
In Heisei 7 April 21, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture.
Official information
The preservation group is the Komatsudani Bon Odori Preservation Society.
The contact information lists the address and telephone number of the Human Rights and Social Education Division of the Nanbu Town Board of Education.
Komatsudani Bon Odori at a Glance
The Komatsudani Bon Odori is a Bon dance rooted in the tradition of nenbutsu dances passed down in Nanbu Town.
Dancers form a circle around the taiko and 4 singers, performing calm, unhurried movements with their backs held straight.
The dance is performed every year on the night of August 17 beside Unkoji Temple in Minouchidani, and the “Bamba Odori” is also performed.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
