Yokaichiba Bon Odori

Festival highlights

The highlight is a simple hand dance: the hayashi musicians sit on a raised platform in the center while the dancers form a circle around it.

There is one type of dance, but the hayashi music is played continuously without interruption.

Originally, the dance was performed by the light of the moon and large candles alone, but electric lights have been used in recent years.

The 3 songs passed down are “Shohachi,” “Gonza ga Saikoku,” and “Higashi-Kazusa.”

Source: 八日市場の盆踊り／千葉県

A simple hand dance in Yokaichiba, carrying on the memory of moonlight

What to expect

Dancers form a circle around the raised platform and repeat a single type of hand dance.

The musicians play continuously, and the 3 songs passed down are “Shohachi,” “Gonza ga Saikoku,” and “Higashi-Kazusa.”

The lyrics respectively include a lament for Shohachi, a fisherman from Node who was lost at sea; famous places around Yokaichiba; and place names from across Japan.

The regular performance of the Yokaichiba Bon Odori is scheduled for Yokaichiba Day in 2026.

Source: イベントカレンダー | 匝瑳市公式ホームページ

Location and access

Venue and address

Honmachi-dori Shopping Street (Sosa City)

By car

Traffic restrictions around the venue are announced for August 8, 2026, and general vehicles are prohibited.

Address Sosa City

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Dates and season

2026 Event Information (The listed dates have passed)

August 8, 2026 (Sat.), from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Canceled in the event of rain.

Fireworks are scheduled for 8 p.m.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The event on August 8, 2026 will be canceled in the event of rain.

Traffic restrictions will be in effect around the venue, and general vehicles will be prohibited.

Visitors should be aware of the traffic restrictions around Honmachi-dori Shopping Street.

Origins and History of Yokaichiba Bon Odori

The Yokaichiba Bon Odori is thought to have originated around the middle of the Edo period, based on the dances and lyrics.

Until around Showa 20, it was performed widely in the Toso region from Tanabata on the old calendar through Obon, and was also a much-anticipated pastime for young people.

It declined rapidly from the Showa 30s onward and became a prefecturally designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Showa 49, on March 19.

Official information

The event on August 8, 2026 is listed in the event calendar on the official Sosa City website.

For an overview of this cultural property, see Chiba Prefecture’s information page on the “Yokaichiba Bon Odori.”

Yokaichiba Bon Odori at a Glance

The Yokaichiba Bon Odori is a prefecturally designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property passed down in the Yonekura and Sunahara districts of Sosa City.

It is characterized by hand dancing in a circle around a raised platform, accompanied by uninterrupted hayashi music, and 3 songs have been passed down: “Shohachi,” “Gonza ga Saikoku,” and “Higashi-Kazusa.”

In 2026, it is included as the regular performance in “8 Fes Night,” held at Honmachi-dori Shopping Street from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 8.

The event will be canceled in the event of rain, and general vehicles will be prohibited around the venue.