What is the name of the dance performed at Obon?
Bon Odori
Bon Odori (Japanese: 盆踊り), meaning simply Bon dance, is a style of dancing performed during Obon. It is a folk entertainment, which has a history of nearly 600 years. Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region.
What is Japanese Obon?
What is Obon? Obon also known as Bon Festival is an event that takes place over the course of several days commemorating and honoring ancestors. Obon centers around a belief that the spirits and souls of loved ones and dead ancestors come back to visit.
Where did the Bon Odori dance originate?
Japan
Tracing its roots back to Japan, Bon Odori evolved out of the Odori Nembutsu, a popular Buddhist chant and dance from the late Heian (794 – 1185) and Kamakura (1185 – 1333) periods. By the 1600s, it became widespread and very popular in rural communities, providing a break from farm life.
Why do the Japanese celebrate Obon?
Obon (お盆) is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one’s ancestors. It is believed that each year during obon, the ancestors’ spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives.
How is Obon celebrated in Japan?
Obon (お盆) is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one’s ancestors. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the ancestors’ spirits, obon dances (bon odori) are performed, graves are visited and food offerings are made at house altars and temples.
Is Obon only celebrated in Japan?
Obon is a traditional festival and not an official holiday in Japan, but it is customary for people to be given leave, usually a 7–15 days’ vacation, known as the Obon week. Public transport may be busier than normal as many people take a vacation during this period and return to their family homes.
Why do Japanese celebrate Obon Festival?
What type of dance is Bon Odori?
folk dance
Bon odori is a type of folk dance performed during the Obon Festival. It was originally a dance to welcome the spirits of the dead. These dances and the music that accompanies them are different for every region of Japan. Usually, the bon dance involves people dancing around a yagura, a high wooden scaffold.
Why is Obon important to Japan?
The Obon celebration is one of the most important customs for the Japanese. Also known as Bon, this season is used to celebrate the spirits of a person’s ancestors. A custom introduced by the Buddhists to the Japanese, it is a holiday that brings the family together and reunites them with the dead.
What do people in Japan do to celebrate Obon?
Obon is a time when the spirits of the dead are honored. All over Japan people celebrate Obon by performing special dances to particular songs. The songs are often traditional Japanese folk songs that vary from region to region. One of the more recognizable Japanese folk songs is the Sōran Bushi ( ソーラン節 ).
What kind of songs do they sing for Obon?
All over Japan people celebrate Obon by performing special dances to particular songs. The songs are often traditional Japanese folk songs that vary from region to region. One of the more recognizable Japanese folk songs is the Sōran Bushi ( ソーラン節 ). It’s a song that hails from the region of Hokkaido ( 北海道 ).
Which is the most famous obon dance in Japan?
Probably one of the more well known dances of Obon is the Awa Odori ( 阿波踊り) in Tokushima Prefecture ( 徳島県 ). If you ever go to Japan around this time of year, you’ll see ladies wearing these special straw hats that have a pointy tip.
What do people do at the Obon festival?
The yagura is usually also the bandstand for the musicians and singers of the Obon music. Some dances proceed clockwise, and some dances proceed counter-clockwise around the yagura. Some dances reverse during the dance, though most do not. At times, people face the yagura and move towards and away from it.