Bon Festival
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O-bon (お盆?) or only Bon (盆?) is a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor the departed spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist festival has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people from the big cities return to their home towns and visit and clean their ancestors' graves. Traditionally including a dance festival, it has existed in Japan for more than 500 years. It is held from July 13 (August 13 according to the lunar calendar still observed in many regions) to the 15th ("Welcoming Obon" and "Farewell Obon" respectively) in the eastern part of Japan (Kanto), and in August in the western part. In recent years, however, most parts of Tokyo, and by extension, the media, hold Obon in August to coincide with the summer holiday period. Obon shares some similarities with the predominantly Mexican observance of el Día de los Muertos, such as customs involving family reunion and care of ancestors' gravesites.
Obon is a shortened form of the legendary Urabonne/Urabanna (Japanese: 于蘭盆会 or 盂蘭盆会, urabon'e). It is Sanskrit for "hanging upside down in hell and suffering" (Sanskrit:Ullambana). The Japanese believe they should ameliorate the suffering of the "Urabanna".
Bon Odori originates from the story of Mokuren, a disciple of Shakyamuni, who saw a vision of his deceased mother in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts where she was indulging in her own selfishness. Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha answered, "On the 15th of July, provide a big feast for the past seven generations of dead." The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated. See also: Ullambana Sutra.
Toro Nagashi is the floating of paper lanterns on the last evening of Obon, to guide the spirits in their journey.
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[edit] Bon Odori
Bon Odori (盆踊り, meaning simply Bon dance) is an event held during Obon. It is celebrated as a reminder of the gratefulness one should feel toward one's ancestors.
Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to express the effusive welcome for the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region. Each region has a respective local Bon dance, as well as respective music accompanying the dance. The music accompanying the dance can be songs specifically pertinent to the spiritual message of Obon, or local min'yo folk songs. Consequently, the Bon dance will look and sound different from region to region. Hokkaido, or northern Japan, is known for a folk-song known as "Soran Bushi." The song "Tokyo Ondo" needs no explanation. Residents of the Kansai area will recognize the famous "Kawachi Ondo." Tokushima in Shikoku is very famous for its "Awa Odori," or "fool's dance," and in the far south, one can hear the "Ohara Bushi" of Kagoshima, Kyuushuu.
The way in which the dance is performed is also different in each region, though the typical Bon dance involves people lining up around a high wooden building made especially for the festival called a 'yagura'. The yagura is usually also the bandstand for the musicians and singers of the Obon music. Some dances proceed clock-wise, and some dances proceed counter-clock-wise 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. Still some dances, such as the Kagoshima Ohara dance, and the Tokushima Awa Odori, simply proceed in a straight line through the streets of the town.
The dance of a region can depict the area's history and specialization. For example, the movements of the dance of the Tanko Bushi (the "coal mining song") of old Miike Mine in Kyuusu show the movements of miners, i.e. digging, cart pushing, lantern hanging, etc. Because everyone dancing performs the same feet and hand movements in unison, it really is an interesting and beautiful dance to behold.
There are other ways in which a regional Bon dance can vary. Some dances involve the use of different kinds of fans, others involve the use of small towels called tenugui which may have colorful designs. Some require the users to use small wooden clappers they use during the dance. The "Hanagasa Odori" of Yamagata is particularly interesting, for its dancers use a flower-decorated hat or "hanagasa" for the dance.
The music that is played during the Bon dance is not limited to Obon music and min'yo; some modern enka hits and kids tunes written to the beat of the "ondo" are also used to dance to during Obon season. Particularly famous is "Pokemon Ondo", which was used as one of the ending theme songs for the Pocket Monsters anime series in Japan.
The Bon dance tradition is said to have started in the later years of the Muromachi period as a public entertainment. In the course of time, the original religious meaning has faded, and the dance has become associated with summer.
To celebrate O-Bon in Okinawa, the eisa drum dance is performed instead.
[edit] Celebrations outside Japan
The Chinese version of O-Bon, the Ghost Festival (盂蘭節), is held in the seventh month of the Chinese calendar instead of July.
[edit] Brazil
Bon Odori Festival is celebrated every year in many Japanese communities all over Brazil, since Brazil has greatest amount of Japanese people outside Japan. São Paulo is the main city of the Japanese colony in Brazil, and also features the major festival in Brazil, with street odori dancing and matsuri dance. It also features Odori Dance, Matsuri Dance, Taiko and Shamisen contests. And, of course, this festival is also a unique experience of a variety of Japanese food & drinks, art and dance.
[edit] Malaysia
A Bon Odori Festival is also celebrated every year at The Esplanade, Penang and at the Matsushita Corp Stadium, Shah Alam. This celebration, which is a major attraction for the state of Selangor, is the brain child of the Japanese Expatriate & Immigrant's Society in Malaysia. In comparison to the celebrations in Japan, the festival is celebrated on a much smaller scale in Penang and Selangor (Malaysia). Here, it is less associated with Buddhism and more with Japanese culture. Held mainly to expose locals to a part of Japanese culture, the festival provides the experience of a variety of Japanese food & drinks, art and dance.
[edit] United States and Canada
Bon Odori festivals are also celebrated in the United States, particularly by Japanese-Americans or Japanese-Canadians affiliated with Buddhist temples and organizations. Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) temples in the U.S. typically celebrate Bon Odori with both religious Obon observances and traditional Bon Odori dancing around a yagura. Many temples also concurrently hold a cultural and food bazaar providing a variety of cuisine and art, also to display features of Japanese culture and Japanese-American history. Performances of taiko by both amateur and professional groups have recently become a popular feature of Bon Odori festivals. Bon Odori festivals are usually scheduled anytime between July and September. Bon Odori melodies are also similar to those in Japan; for example, the dance Tanko Bushi from Kyushu is also performed in the U.S. In California, due to the diffusion of Japanese immigration, Bon Odori dances also differ from Northern to Southern California, and some are influenced by originally American culture, such as "Baseball Ondo"!
[edit] External links
- Bon Dance: Description of various Bon Dance styles and resources.
- Runker Room : Japan : Obon no koto
- Photo Gallery of Bon Odori held in Penang, Malaysia
