murmurNiino Bon Odori
Anan Town · Niino district of Anan, around Zuikoin Temple
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Anan Town · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Fri, Aug 14, 2026 / Sat, Aug 15, 2026 / Sun, Aug 16, 2026 / Mon, Aug 17, 2026 / Sat, Aug 22, 2026 （Ended） Dancing each night from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Usually the nights of mid-August, around the Obon holiday (dates can change by year). The closing Urabon dance is on the fourth Saturday night of August
- Venue
- Niino district of Anan, around Zuikoin Temple
- City
- Anan Town, Nagano
About
Around Obon, the Niino district of Anan dances from night until dawn near Zuikoin Temple, and it does so without a single instrument. The rhythm comes entirely from voices: a singer on the tower leads each verse and the ring of dancers sings it back. Seven dances make up the repertoire, and every night begins with Sukuisa, danced with folding fans. Local lore traces the custom to the late Muromachi period, when villagers copied a dance from the temple's dedication, giving it a history of more than 500 years. The most moving moment comes at daybreak on the last morning, when a procession arrives to send the dance gods away and stubborn dancers break into small circles to keep going. Once the kiriko lanterns are burned, people walk home singing autumn songs and never glance back. A further night of dancing, Urabon, takes place on the fourth Saturday of August.
Sources
- OfficialAnan Town www.town.anan.nagano.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.