Yesterday we attended one of Tokyo’s biggest festivals, Marunouchi Ondo in Hibiya park. We observed the rhythmical dance of Bon Odori. Originally, “Obon” or “Day of the Dead” was a celebration to honor one’s deceased ancestors. The dancing was a display of gratefulness. Synonymous with summer, this sort of festival occurs in July and August throughout Japan. Mostly middle aged or elderly women lead the dances from the interior of the circle. Quite the accomplishment especially when you consider they’re doing so in hard to balance wooden sandals. The only parallel Ryan and I could think of was line dancing, only with catchier music and the always cool taiko drums. The traditional attire is the summer cotton kimono called a yukata. All generations seemed to be dancing, moving between the circle and the grassy area where onlookers enjoyed beer, sake and festival foods including some of the meatiest hot dogs we’ve ever seen. Seriously, they make the foot long at the Minnesota state fair look chintzy. Like the state fair, the evening carried that end of summer feeling, as tomorrow or the following week, many children head back to school. Roo enjoying a big yo-yo in the children's activity area.
We saw many young girls and their mothers wearing a summer yukata.
The taiko stage. One of the dances. Roo's impressed he gets to keep the fan.
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