and the summer dance goes on : August 23 2024

summers in japan are known for fireworks and festivals. and festivals come in many forms. most are related to an annual celebration of a shrine or temple, and some are related to an event. and some has dances involved.

bon odori

here is an example of the summer dances in japan. summer dances are usually called bon odori (盆踊り). but please don't quote me on that, but this dancing that i witnessed one night in nippori awfully resembles bon odori.

bon odori is a style of dancing performed in obon, the japanese buddhist festival of the dead. well, not really a festival but more of a commemoration of the dead. and the dancing is an invitation for the ancestors' spirits to come home for a bit and have a feast with the family.

in some of my readings, it is said that bon odori traces back it's origins around 500 to 600 years ago. and although it was originally for the welcoming of the spirits back home, now it is basically just danced for enjoyment and entertainment. like any other national dances, bon odori has some variations depending on the location where it was danced. each region apparently has some twist or spin giving it a unique flavor.

obon is usually celebrated in the summers of mid july or early august. but now is already late august, so is this dance that i witnessed really bon odori? i still think it is. and as you may have remembered in my previous posts, at the other side of nippori are the cemeteries and shrines and temples. i guess nippori does not follow the usual obon schedules, they make their own. they have the authority to do so.

what i enjoyed most with the dance is that it seems that all japanese people have this dance pattern engraved in their soul. of course, those in yukata (the summer version of kimono) are probably from the organizing committee, but there were ordinary folks joining in. there were people in ordinary clothes who knew the steps well. you may argue that these are the same steps done in infinite loops until the song ends, but there were different songs. and each song had different steps looped. so what does that mean?

those big loud booms of the taiko drums were also very inviting. i was having my nightwalks when i passed near the station, and i heard the loud drums from afar. i knew then what was happening; i already sad the stage the other day although i never knew of the festivities' schedule. those loud beats of the drums goes well with the beating of the heart. if a mere mortal like me was drawn to them, so much more with the spirits who were intentionally invited by these beats.

as the dancing came to an end, i had to revisit the nearby temple and shrine. that is but a fitting end to this journey.

now i'm sure you have wished to hear those drums and see those dance in motion, here are some of the clips i took during the event. come and take a look. have a glimpse of a simple bon odori in this simple neighborhood.