Higashiyama Onsen Bon Odori

Higashiyama Onsen Bon Odori

The Higashiyama Onsen Bon Odori, a traditional summer dance festival, restarted in 2024 after a five-year absence and is typically held Friday to Monday on the first weekend of August.

The festival involves long snaking lines of people dancing to the traditional song 'Aizu Bandaisan', which anyone can join since the dance only involves a few steps. The song is played from a 14-metre-high wooden watchtower built once a year in the Yukawa River below, adorned with over 1,000 lanterns.

The history of the festival traces back to 1944, when it was designed to cheer up children evacuating to a ryokan in Higashiyama Onsen during the war.

The onsen town is also worth a visit the rest of the year and makes an excellent base for exploring the samurai city of Aizu-Wakamatsu.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Best Season
  • Summer
ParkingFree; no cost for shuttle bus
Access Details
AccessHigashiyama Onsen, Aizu-Wakamatsu City
View directions
Getting there

By Public Transport: Shuttle buses run regularly from Aizu Buke-yashiki and Higashiyama Public Parking Lot during the festival

By Train: Aizu-Wakamatsu Station is about 1hr from Koriyama Station (so 2hr 15m from Tokyo)

Useful Links

Learn more about Higashiyama Onsen

Nearby

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