murmurDainosaka Bon Dance
Uonuma City · Grounds of Hachimangu Shrine, Horinouchi
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Niigata Prefectural Tourist Association · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Aug 14–16, 2026 （Ended） About 19:30 to 21:30
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year, August 14 – August 16 Cancelled in the rain
- Venue
- Grounds of Hachimangu Shrine, Horinouchi
- City
- Uonuma City, Niigata
About
On the evenings of Obon, people gather in the grounds of the Hachimangu Shrine in Horinouchi, Uonuma, to dance Dainosaka. When the song strikes up with "Dainosaka, yare, nanamagari koma o," dancers form a ring and begin. Because every verse includes "Namu saiho," it's also called the nembutsu dance, and its mood is hushed and wistful rather than boisterous. It is a national intangible folk cultural property and part of a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage listing. Drop-ins are very welcome, so even passing travelers can join the circle. It's about 5 minutes on foot from Echigo-Horinouchi Station on the JR Joetsu Line; it's cancelled in rain and may finish early in bad weather.
Sources
- OfficialNiigata Prefectural Tourist Association niigata-kankou.or.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.