A dashi sways to festival music as it dances through Higashimachi, in a traditional event passed down on the Oki Islands
Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance
The 2026 edition of Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dance has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/28Ended
- Season / frequency
- July 28 (once every 3 years) / Once every 3 years
- Location
- Misaki Shrine and the Higashimachi district
- Area
- Shimane Prefecture・Okinoshima Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 40 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance is a traditional event held once every 3 years in Higashimachi, Okinoshima Town. The dashi, carrying children who play the festival music, moves through the streets as bearers sway it.
About Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance
The Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance is an event held as part of the annual festival of Misaki Shrine, passed down in Higashimachi, Okinoshima Town, Shimane Prefecture.
It is held once every 3 years, on July 28, at Misaki Shrine and in the Higashimachi district, with a procession through the community centered around the dashi.
Four children play the festival music atop the dashi, while the bearers sway it as if dancing.
In Showa 50, it was designated a town intangible folk cultural property.
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the distinctive way the dashi itself is moved as if dancing.
Four children aboard the dashi play the festival music, while the bearers sing and sway it as they make their way through Higashimachi.
Today, a and dashi set out from Misaki Shrine and proceed along the streets, with a dance performed in a plaza.
Its distinctive feature is the way the dashi, music, and procession come together.
Source: 御碕神社祭礼 宇屋だんじり舞風流 / 島根県 -【JAPAN 47 GO】 / 指定無形民俗文化財公開日(月別)／隠岐の島町-つながらぁや つながぁや 一万年の隠岐の島‐
A dashi sways to festival music as it dances through Higashimachi, in a traditional event passed down on the Oki Islands
What to expect
The event is held in conjunction with the annual festival of Misaki Shrine.
A mikoshi and dashi proceed from Misaki Shrine into the Higashimachi district. To the festival music played by children atop the dashi, the bearers and carriers sway the dashi as they make their way through the streets.
After the procession, dances are performed in a plaza.
When open to the public, the event is held mainly in the morning.
How to take part
The festival is held as a local shrine festival and is supported by people who take on various roles, including the bearers who move the dashi and the children who play the festival music.
一般来場者が行列や舞を見学できる公開行事です。
When watching, please follow the guidance around you so as not to obstruct the procession or the progress of the shrine rites.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Misaki Shrine and the Higashimachi district.
The address is 〒685-0012 Higashimachi, Okinoshima Town, Oki District, Shimane Prefecture.
- Train and bus
It is a 10-minute walk from Saigo Port.
Address 〒685-0012 Higashimachi, Okinoshima Town, Oki District, Shimane Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
Event information for 2026 listed July 28 (Tuesday), with public viewing from 9:30 a.m. until around noon.
The Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance is held once every 3 years, on July 28.
The 2026 event date has passed.
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 Shimane Prefecture / Okinoshima Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The procession and dance performances take place on the streets and in plazas in the Higashimachi district, so please leave room for the dashi and mikoshi to pass when watching.
As this is also part of the annual festival at the shrine, please watch quietly during the shrine rites and follow the guidance of event staff.
The event is held once every 3 years, so please check the dates and public viewing hours before your visit.
Nearby attractions
隠岐郷土館
島根県隠岐の島町にある博物館
Origins and History of Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance
It is said to have originated in Kyoho 3 (1803), when the village headman of Uya and an exile living there collaborated on a work that was dedicated during the relocation of Misaki Shrine.
Uya corresponds to present-day Higashimachi. The tradition of dancing to festival music played atop the dashi was passed down in the community thereafter.
Since Showa 46, it has been held every 3 years, and in Showa 50 it was designated an intangible folk cultural property.
Source: 御碕神社 - 神社詳細 | 島根県神社庁
Official information
Event information and details about the cultural property are provided by the Cultural Promotion Section of the Social Education Division, Okinoshima Town Board of Education.
Information about the shrine published by the Shimane Prefecture Shrine Agency also lists the date and location of Misaki Shrine’s annual festival and the history of the Uya Dashi Dance.
The telephone number for the Cultural Promotion Section of the Social Education Division, Okinoshima Town Board of Education, is 08512-2-2126.
Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance at a Glance
The Misaki Shrine Festival Uya Dashi Dance is a traditional event held once every 3 years in Higashimachi, Okinoshima Town, in which the dashi is swayed as if dancing.
The festival music played by 4 children combines with the movements of the bearers and carriers as the mikoshi and dashi move through the town.
It is said to have begun in 1803 and has been passed down as a town-designated intangible folk cultural property.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
