Private multi-day tour · Multi-day from Tokyo
From Tokyo: 3-Day Nishimonai Bon Odori Customizable Tour
Watch Nishimonai Bon Odori in Akita, a UNESCO-listed dance where dancers in black hoods and straw hats move in circles by firelight after dark.
Private · your group only◆3 days◆Up to 6 guests◆Pickup included
Road-day snapshot
This is your private tour, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
Nishimonai Bon Odori in Ugo town, Akita, is one of the three great Bon dances of Japan. It has a history of about 700 years and is part of a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage listing. It takes place on August 16, 17 and 18 each year.
After sunset, dancers move slowly in a long line along the main street, lit by small fires. Some wear black hikosa-zukin hoods that cover the whole face. Others wear wide straw hats pulled low. Many wear robes sewn from old silk patchwork. The music of flutes and drums and the slow, graceful hand movements create a quiet, magical night.
Watching the dance in the street is free. Your guide finds a good place to stand and explains the meaning of the hoods, which are linked to the spirits of the dead who return at Obon.
In the daytime we visit the Nishimonai Bon Odori Kaikan to see costumes up close. Entry is included. We also visit Yuzawa, known for Inaniwa udon, thin hand-made noodles, and for its old sake breweries.
Ugo is about 6 hours from Tokyo. You book your own hotel in Yuzawa or nearby. Rooms fill very early for these dates.
This is a private tour. Only your group. One family or group of 1 to 6 people per van, never shared with strangers. Your driver-guide speaks English, and also Hindi and Urdu.
If the Nishimonai Bon Odori is closed or cancelled on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead visit the Nishimonai Bon Odori Kaikan and see the dance costumes, and spend more time in Yuzawa.
DAY 1 Hotel pickup in Tokyo and drive to Ugo (about 6 hours). Evening: Nishimonai Bon Odori.
DAY 2 Nishimonai Bon Odori Kaikan, Inaniwa udon and the sake quarter in Yuzawa, then the dance again at night.
DAY 3 The drive back to your Tokyo hotel.
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- Watch the hooded dancers of Nishimonai Bon Odori at night
- See a UNESCO-listed dance with about 700 years of history
- Learn the meaning of the hikosa-zukin hoods from your guide
- See dance costumes up close at the Bon Odori Kaikan
- Try thin Inaniwa udon noodles in Yuzawa
Said plainly
Festival dates: August 16 to 18 each year. The next festival is August 16 to 18, 2027. The dance starts after sunset and goes late into the night. Please do not use flash on the dancers. Heavy rain can cancel a night of dancing. If the Nishimonai Bon Odori is closed or cancelled on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead visit the Nishimonai Bon Odori Kaikan and see the dance costumes, and spend more time in Yuzawa. Dietary needs can be added in the booking form.
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
Watch the hooded dancers of Nishimonai Bon Odori at night
See a UNESCO-listed dance with about 700 years of history
Learn the meaning of the hikosa-zukin hoods from your guide
See dance costumes up close at the Bon Odori Kaikan
Try thin Inaniwa udon noodles in Yuzawa
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private van and English-speaking driver-guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tokyo
- All parking, fuel and road tolls
- Entry to the Nishimonai Bon Odori Kaikan
Yours — paid on the day
- Hotel accommodation (you book your own hotel in Yuzawa or Ugo)
- Meals and drinks unless listed as included
- Gratuities, which are never expected in Japan
- Optional sake tasting at a Yuzawa brewery
- Optional festival food stalls
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole private group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help. If a typhoon or official weather warning stops the trip, we offer a new date or a full refund. For a GetYourGuide booking, the terms shown on that booking apply.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
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From¥227,000
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