Nishimonai Bon Odori

Festival highlights

The highlight is the contrast between the wild-sounding festival music and the graceful, flowing dance.

The dances include the “ondo” and “ganke,” accompanied by the sounds of flutes, drums, shamisen, tsuzumi hand drums, and kane bells, alongside playful songs and jinku folk songs.

The hanui patchwork costumes and indigo-dyed yukata, together with woven hats and Hikozukin hoods, create a distinctive atmosphere on Honcho Street at night, illuminated by bonfires.

Source: トップページ | 羽後町観光物産協会

A summer night in Ugo Town, brightened by bonfires and graceful dancing

What to expect

The main event begins with yose-daiko drums, and the dancing proceeds to festival music played from atop a yagura tower.

The ondo is danced in the early evening, and as the night grows late, it gives way to the ganke, danced to jinku folk songs.

The dancers perform in a circle around Honcho Street, and the music concludes with the yose-daiko drums.

During the event, visitors can also take part in exchange gatherings featuring live festival music, introductions to the dance’s history, and opportunities to try the dance.

Source: 西馬音内盆踊り | 全国観光資源台帳(公財)日本交通公社 / 【令和８年】西馬音内盆踊り開催情報 | 羽後町観光物産協会

Location and access

Venue and address

Nishimonai Honcho-dori.

The address is Honcho, Nishimonai, Ugo Town.

Train and bus

It is a 15-minute drive from Yuzawa Station on the JR Ou Main Line.

You can also take the Ugo Kotsu Nishimonai Line.

The nearest bus stop is JA Nishimonai, a 5-minute walk from the venue, according to the information provided.

By car

Head north from Yuzawa IC along National Route 398 to reach Ugo Town in about 15 minutes.

Traffic restrictions apply in the central area around the venue during the Bon Odori period.

Parking

A temporary parking lot is set up near the venue, and passenger cars cost 1,000 yen per vehicle.

The parking lot is available from 1 p.m.

Event venue 秋田県羽後町 西馬音内本町通り

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

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Dates and season

Season

Every year, from August 16 to the 18th

Frequency

Every year

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

Traffic restrictions are in place around the main event venue, so if you plan to drive, consider using the temporary parking lot.

Visitors were advised that in 2026, the parking lot often filled up between 8 p.m. and around 9 p.m.

Seating was ticketed, with same-day sales on a first-come, first-served basis and cash payment.

As the venue or viewing conditions may change in wet weather, check the information for the year of the event.

Nearby attractions

Nishimonai Bon Odori Hall is a related facility where visitors can experience the Bon dance culture of Honcho Street.

Exhibits include old dance costumes, dolls recreating scenes from the Bon dance, indigo-dyed wall hangings, quilted tapestries, and video materials.

If you are interested in Ugo Town’s food culture, Nishimonai soba, made with funori seaweed as a binding agent, is another nearby attraction.

Gorinzaka Onsen Toshitorando is listed as a sightseeing and accommodation facility in Ugo Town.

Museums and art museumsUgo Town

羽後町歴史民俗資料館

秋田県羽後町の博物館・美術館のスポットです。

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0

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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 Nishimonai Bon Odori

There are several accounts of the dance’s origins. One tradition says that a Buddhist ascetic named Gen Shin began a dance to pray for a good harvest during the Shōō era. Another account holds that it emerged from a dance performed by retainers in memory of the Onodera clan, lords of Nishimonai Castle, who fell from power in Keichō 6.

It is said that the dance began to be performed as a Bon dance on Honcho Street during the Tenmei era.

The costumes and dance style were refined following the 1935 National Folk Dance and Folk Song Festival. After a postwar interruption, a preservation society was established in 1947.

Official information

Information on the event schedule, venue, transportation, and spectator seating is provided in the Nishimonai Bon Odori event information from the Ugo Town Tourism and Products Association.

Information about regular performances at the hall is also available on Ugo Town’s official website.

Source: 西馬音内盆踊り定期公演 | 羽後町

Visit the official website

Nishimonai Bon Odori at a Glance

The Nishimonai Bon Odori is a historic Bon dance passed down on Honcho Street in Ugo Town.

The “ondo” and “ganke,” performed to the sound of yose-daiko drums and singing, come together with hanui costumes, woven hats, and bonfires to create a distinctive scene.

The specific dates for 2027 are currently being confirmed, but the event is usually held from August 16 to the 18th.