Bon odori (bon dance) is here and there!
Posted by: kirin on 
Jul 25th, 2009 | 
Filed under: Daily LifeEnd of July is bon odori (meaning bon dance, as you might know) season in Japan. There are 2 bon odori sites near my house this year. No matter how many years have passed, how our life is advanced with technology, and how Japanese people are westernized, bon odori has been always the same. Same song, same music, same Japanese drums….Peple dance the same way and that’s why things I see there just remind me of my childhood. I feel it is a very Japanese-like event and when I find myself relaxed with some nostalgic feelings and memories, I am feeling myself very Japanese.
Whatever, video is worth a thousand words here. Take a look and you can feel what it’d be like there. 
Enjoy the image of Japanese summer. It’s too dark and barely visible?! I know that, but indeed it was taken place in the dark. That’s how it is.
What’s surprising me was that Doraemon Ondo was on at both sites. I thought it was only for kids and inside the TV! I remember the song from childhood.
Yakitori (grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce over) and beer from street vendors. How Japanese!
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July 25th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Oh , thanks for posting this, Kirin. It looks so beautiful. I would love to visit a bon odori ( we only have fairs like this around Christmas ) and the grilled chicken looks good ! At least in the dark , I would dare to dance too
But , ahem beer in plastic cups ? Ah well when in Japan, do like the Japanese.
July 26th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Thanks for the post! This is sooo interesting. Actually where I live there is a Bon Odori festival except it's in the day time and it's only for a couple of hours. It's interesting how different the atmosphere changes from day to night, it's more mysterious. Well I am a foreigner and so many things are mysterious in a way.
July 26th, 2009 at 2:09 am
Beautiful!! I can't wait to see an O-Bon event, but I'm sure it's harder to travel during those times
July 26th, 2009 at 5:49 am
We'd drink beer in glass at home or at restaurants, but when it comes to outside like this festival, Japanese people are bad example of wasting disposable plastic cups and chopsticks for only one-time usage and throw them away… :S
July 26th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Speaking of Bon Odori, it usually starts from evening, say 5 pm and lasts until 9 or 10 pm, I guess. In that sense, in Japan it's not in a daytime, usually. Mysterious…right. Good atmosphere for couple! Getting dressed in Yukata (casual type of Kimono. Kimono is made of silk, while Yukata is made of cotton, and is for summer season.) and go to Hanabi (fire works) or Bon Odori is something fun in the summer season in Japan.
July 26th, 2009 at 6:01 am
There are 4 seasons in Japan, and each season has something deserve to explore. I hope you can feel something from the video, and maybe you can transform the imagination to your artworks? :p
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:20 am
hi.nice post..this really brings back sweet memories..
)
when i was in high school i used to participate in bon odori festival in malaysia.
i still remember went to japanese school in kuala lumpur every evening to practise dancing.
the stage in my country is veerryy big and sooo many bright red lanterns!!which is sooo cool
there so many people coming at that night and formed a very big circle around the stage and everyone dance
eventhough my frens n i lead the dance but we didn't wear yukata/kimono..huhu..just bon odori fest event shirt and black trousers.
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Bon odori in KL? Sounds very interesting~~ :p
Thank you for sharing your memories. It looks like this weekend we have Bon odori for this year. Today I saw the stage was being built for the Saturday and Sunday nights. I was just thinking back this post and just amazed 1 year has been passing since this post…
Thank you for your comment!
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