2026 Kemanai Bon Odori: A Full-Day Course
Designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and counted among Japan's three great Bon Odori festivals, the Kemanai Bon Odori takes place in 2026 over three days, from Friday, August 21 to Sunday, August 23, along Kemanai's Honmachi Street in Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture. This course is a full-day plan centered on the opening day, August 21. During the day, relax amid greenery at Sakurayama District Park in Hanawa, Kazuno City, then drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Oyu Stone Circles to encounter Jomon-period history. After a break at the adjacent roadside station Michi-no-Eki Oyu, unwind at a footbath in the steamy Oyu Onsen hot spring area. In the evening, drive to Kemanai and walk through the merchant town of Kemanai Shinmachi, lined with white-walled storehouses, to have dinner. Once the sun sets and the lanterns light up, the main event begins: dancers wearing hats or hoods form circles and dance in a dreamlike Bon Odori. Watching them move slowly to the two melodies of Dai-no-Saka and Jinku is an unforgettable summer scene from northeastern Tohoku.
Schedule
Take a break in the shade before the Bon Odori, at a park surrounded by over 200 cherry trees
Visit two massive stone circles at a UNESCO World Heritage Jomon site
Adjacent to the stone circles, a rest stop with local produce and Jomon-themed goods
Walk through a hot spring town dating back to the feudal era, and rest your feet at a footbath
Visit Nishikigi-zuka, tied to the legend of Princess Masako, and have dinner before Kemanai's Bon Odori
The dreamlike opening day of Bon Odori, with dancers in hats and hoods forming circles
Photos7
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