Etchu Yatsuo Owara Kaze no Bon 2026

About this event

"Etchu Yatsuo Owara Kaze no Bon," held every year from September 1 to 3 in Yatsuo-machi, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, is a traditional event believed to have begun in Genroku 15 (1702). It has been passed down as an event to appease the wind gods and pray for bountiful harvests. When dusk falls and the paper lanterns are lit, dancers wearing deeply tilted braided straw hats move through the town to the melancholic melodies of shamisen, kokyu, and taiko drums. This festival has no specific main venue; each of the 11 neighborhoods of Yatsuo-machi (old town and station-front areas) in Toyama City serves as a stage, and the entire townscape of sloping roads, cobblestones, and latticed houses creates the scenery of Owara. The quiet exhilaration created by the dancers and the "Jikata" (singers and instrumentalists) is captivating, allowing visitors to enjoy distinct costumes, songs, dances, and streetscapes across each neighborhood, such as the powerful male dance representing farming motions and the graceful female dance reminiscent of catching fireflies. In particular, the "Machi-nagashi," where dancers and Jikata advance slowly along the streets, is the iconic scene of Owara. Additionally, paid indoor competition performances that can be appreciated regardless of the weather are also held.

Venue

Yatsuomachi Suwamachi

Yatsuomachi Suwamachi, Toyama, Toyama 939-2343