🏮 Omiya Odori

大宮踊

Maniwa, Okayama (Fukuda Shrine) · Every year on 13 August

UNESCO Intangible Cultural HeritageBon odori

333 days to go
Rooms around Maniwa, Okayama fill up while the festival is on.

Omiya Odori is a traditional bon dance held every year during the Obon period in the Hiruzen area of Maniwa, Okayama Prefecture. Dancers move from one venue to the next each day, visiting Shrines, Temples, and small roadside halls (tsujido) across Hiruzen. Among the venues, Fukuda Shrine is especially lively, and a fireworks display is also held there at night. This bon dance has been passed down in the Hiruzen area since long ago and is a historic event that local people have long cherished and kept alive. There are three types of dance: aoi, shisshi, and maneki, all performed in a circle to a relaxed rhythm. From the center of the circle hangs a large lantern, from which a cut-paper craft called shirige is suspended, its warm light lending the dancing an elegant atmosphere.

Getting there

Venues are Shrines and Temples in various parts of the Hiruzen area, and the nearest station or bus stop differs depending on the venue. Please check the Maniwa Tourism Bureau website or similar sources in advance for details.