Don't you know even Japanese people? Origin, basics, and how to enjoy Bon Odori

Have you ever participated in one of the summer festival events, "Bon Odori"? Many people may think of Bon Odori as "just a dance", but Bon Odori originally has the meaning of sending out the spirits of the ancestors who welcomed them in Obon.

In this article, we will introduce the origins and ways of enjoying Bon Odori, which Japanese people are not familiar with. Whether you've never danced Bon Odori or you've danced but didn't know the meaning, please read it to the end.

First, I would like to introduce the origin and origin of Bon Odori.

Derived from the Buddhist Nenbutsu Odori

In the first place, Bon Odori is an event to entertain the spirits of ancestors who were greeted during the Obon festival, spend time together, and send them out. It's one of the summer events, but it's not just a dance, it's a sacred event.

The origin of Bon Odori is said to be the Buddhist "Nenbutsu Odori". This Nenbutsu odor is a dance that is performed while chanting the Nenbutsu by oneself, and later developed into a "dance Nenbutsu" in which the dancer and the Nenbutsu chanter were separated.

These folk performing arts are combined with Obon to become a modern Bon dance. It is a flow of dancing on August 15th and sending out the spirits of ancestors on the 16th. It started in the Muromachi period and can be said to be one of the solemn events with a history of about 500 years.

It also has an entertaining element

In addition to the meaning of providing hospitality to ancestors, Bon Odori also has the element of interacting with the local people. This is because an independent person who has left the house can go home during the Bon festival for the first time in a long time, reunite with an old friend at the Bon festival dance, and have fun talking and dancing with the neighbors to deepen their relationship.

Also, since the Edo period, it has also functioned as a meeting place for men and women. In the old days, there were few events where many men and women gathered together. From the point of view of the people at that time, it must have been like dancing to the heart. The evening of Bon Odori (July 15 in the lunar calendar) is the full moon. It seems that it was easy to feel uplifted because it was brightly lit even without lighting.

Basics of Bon Odori-How-to Bon Odori-

Next, I will explain the basics of Bon Odori in detail.

Basically, anyone can feel free to participate

Bon Odori is basically an event that anyone can easily participate in. Depending on the area, there may be a dancer, but in most cases it is OK to jump in and participate. Therefore, many people participate in the middle, saying, "I didn't feel like dancing at first, but when I saw it, I wanted to dance."

Because of the traditional Japanese culture, Bon Odori is especially popular with foreign tourists and is becoming a travel activity. In the past, we danced to "Ondo" and "folk songs", but recently we have often danced to "J-pop" and "anime songs". It's designed so that children and young people can enjoy dancing.

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The most important point of Bon Odori is the movement of your legs!

The movements of Bon Odori are choreographed with an emphasis on the movements of the feet rather than the hands. This is a choreography that means that "humans on the ground step on the ground to contain the spirits of their ancestors who welcomed them to Obon."

Although it looks fun, it is also a ritual to send out ancestors, so it has a slightly sad atmosphere. On the contrary, "Mai", which dances when entering the Obon festival and welcoming spirits, is a hand-centered choreography.

People who dance for the first time may find it difficult, but it's okay to imitate them. Let's enjoy it by leaving yourself to the "fun and painful" atmosphere of the place.

If you participate in a yukata, you will get even more excited!

You can wear Bon Odori in your everyday clothes, but if you want to raise your tension, please try wearing a yukata. It will look great and you should have an even more enjoyable time. By the way, Bon Odori is choreographed so that it is easy to dance even if you are wearing a yukata, so there is no problem with movement even with a yukata.

Introducing Bon Odori from all over Japan!

Finally, I would like to introduce the most famous "Japan's Three Great Bon Odori" among the Bon Odori in various parts of Japan.

Awa Odori (Tokushima)

It is the best Bon Odori dance in Japan in terms of dancers, number of spectators, and scale. From 1804 to 1830, the merchants of Tokushima began to dance actively during the Cultural Bunsei period, and it has been handed down to the present day.

Dancers dance around the city of Tokushima with the accompaniment of drums, shamisen, and shinobue. The phrase "the idiot seen in a dancing idiot, the same idiot is a loss if you dance" is also famous, and it is characteristic that the whole Tokushima is surrounded by motivation and enthusiasm.

Bon Odori in Nishimonai (Nishimonai Bon Odori / Akita)

"Nishimonai no Bon Odori" is held every year from August 16th to 18th in Ugo Town, Akita Prefecture. This is an event to dance with ancestors in the hope of abundant fruit, and it is evaluated that the artistry of appearance is wonderful. In the 40th year of the Meiji era, the poet Hekigodō Kawahigashi wrote in his book, "I saw the first picturesque Bon Odori dance."

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Gujo Odori (Gifu)

It is a Bon festival dance that dances for about 32 days (night) every year from mid-July to early September in Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture. Since the Bon Festival will come during this period, an all-night dance called "Banran Bon Festival" will be held from August 13th to 16th.

While incorporating the flow of old medieval dances, it has spread in earnest as Bon Odori since the Edo period. At that time, there is a remnant that it was said that it was good to dance in a rude manner without worrying about the class, so even today, it is fascinating to dance in one circle without distinction from local people, tourists, adults to children. It's a Bon festival dance.

Summary

Many of today's younger generations may not know the original meaning of Bon Odori, which is the event of sending out the spirits of ancestors who were greeted in Obon. However, by knowing the meaning and origin and deepening your understanding, you will be able to change the way you enjoy Bon Odori and realize that it is a culture that you should inherit.

If you find a Bon Odori dancer whose dancer has not been decided, please feel free to join us. Then, let's feel the atmosphere and fun of the place with your skin.

This article is a partial re-edit of the article published in Nihongo Biyori by KARUTA.
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