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Bon-Odori: Bon Festival Dance
In Japan, "Bon-Odori" is a dance (odori) held during the Bon period, mainly from August 13th to the 16th. Bon-dance occurs all over Japan to receive spirits and send them off again. In the present day, the religious aspect has been mostly lost, and the dance has become a part of the summer festivals.
The movements of the dances passed down over 500 years ago are made to coordinate with lyrics describing such actions as "harvesting the rice" or "scooping the mud," giving the dance the unique quality of being easy to mimic and to remember.
Many wear yukata (Casual Kimono made for summer) to participate in summer festivals and Bon-Odori. Put on your Yukata (available to purchase from JapanFest vendors) and join us for the Bon-dance finale on Sunday afternoon!
Soran Bushi is a famous traditional Japanese working folk song and dance that is widely featured as an energetic group dance during summer Bon Odori festivals.
Originating from the Hokkaido herring fisheries, the choreography mimics hard physical labor like hauling ropes, pulling in heavy fishing nets, and tossing catch.
The History of Bon-Odori
The history of Bon-odori goes back over 1,000 years. Dengaku", a dance that originated in the Heian period, was performed to pray for a good rice harvest. Around the same time, Kuya Shonin monks started the "Odori Nembutsu" dance to spread prayer recitation to Amida Buddha while beating drums and other instruments and dancing. It is said that these prayers and rituals were combined with performing arts to become the basic pattern of early Bon dances.
Atmosphere of Bon-Odori
Bon-odori takes place at night in the summer. The venue is lit with hundreds of Chochin lanterns. Yagura, a square stage as high as 4 meters, towers in the center of the venue. Taiko drummers on top of the Yagura beat the tune along the traditional Bon-dance music. People surround the Yagura and dance in circlular motion in one direction in unity. In modern days, in addition to traditional music, Anime songs, pop music, and Jazz are arranged for Bondance to attract more young crowds.