Gujo Odori Festival Kicks Off 4 Days of All-Night Dancing with Yukata-Clad Dancers in Gifu Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:47 JST, August 14, 2025

GUJO, Gifu — The Tetsuya Odori dance event began on Wednesday in Gujo, Gifu Prefecture, as part of the Gujo Odori, one of Japan’s major Bon dance festivals.

The Gujo Odori dates back to the Edo period, and as part of a larger group of folk dances, it was designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2022. The Tetsuya Odori dance, which starts at 8 p.m. and runs into the early morning, will be held for four nights in a row.

On the first night, festivalgoers dressed in yukata could be seen chanting and clanking their geta clogs in sync with the music.