Gujo Odori 2026 All-Night Dance: How to Get There (First-Timer's Guide)
Gujo Odori 2026's all-night Tetsuya Odori runs over Obon, Aug 13-16, from 8 pm to 4-5 am. The stage is the old castle town of Gujo-Hachiman in Gifu, about a 20-min walk from Gujo-Hachiman Station. Verified dates, venue and access for first-timers.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/08/13 11:00 – 2026/08/16
- Where
- Gujo-Hachiman castle town (Shinmachi-Hashimotomachi / Honmachi)（Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu (old castle town area)）
- Getting there
- Nagaragawa Railway to Gujo-Hachiman Station, then ~20 min on foot to the castle town. From Nagoya: JR Takayama Line to Mino-Ota, change to Nagaragawa Railway (~80 min to Gujo-Hachiman). Staying overnight or driving is realistic on all-night-dance nights.
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Gujo Odori Organising Committee / Gujo City
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Nagaragawa Railway to Gujo-Hachiman Station, then ~20 min on foot to the castle town. From Nagoya: JR Takayama Line to Mino-Ota, change to Nagaragawa Railway (~80 min to Gujo-Hachiman). Staying overnight or driving is realistic on all-night-dance nights. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
Highlights
- Four all-night dances over Obon (Aug 13-16, 8 pm to 4-5 am)
- A participatory dance - step into the circle yourself
- Geta clattering through the old castle-town streets
Background & story
Traced to the early Edo period, when the Endo lords of Gujo-Hachiman gathered the village Bon dances of the domain into the castle town and encouraged everyone to dance 'without distinction of rank' to foster harmony across classes.