Kemanai Bon Dance Festival held in Towada Kemanai, Kazuno City, Akita Pref. from August 21st to 23rd every year is one of Akita’s three largest Bon festivals. This Bon dance is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The dance starts with Yobi-Daiko Dance, and then Dai-no-saka Dance and Jinku Dance are performed. The dancers dance in circle around the bonfire set on the street of every town. Men-dancers wear the formal black crested kimono, while women-dancers are basically in the juban (under-kimono) with in the ceremonial kimono with the pale pink waistcloth but recently the ceremonial kimonos such as edozuma (tomesode) and homongi are worn. The women-dancers also cover their faces with tenugui-towels. The origin of the dances dates back to the very old ages. Dai-no-saka Dance is said to have been already danced in the early Edo period (the beginning of the 17th century), when Sakuraba Hidemitsu was enfeoffed the Kemanai domain. The dance is presumed to originate in Nenbutsu-Odori (Buddhist invocation dance) in Kyoto. Jinku Dance originates in the cerebration feast held when the Nanbu clan drove away the forces of the Akita clan from their territory in the Warring States period (1493-1573). Kemanai Bon Dance Festival is a traditional summer event rich in local flavor.