Japanese dance
Nihon-buyo
Nihon-buyo is the artistic Japanese dance.
On a stage or in a Japanese room, one or some dancers worn Kimono dance.
The dance originally came from Kabuki, and the movement and music
resemble it.
There are many schools of Nihon-buyo in Japan, and main 5 schools are
Hanayagi, Fujima, Wakayagi, Nishikawa and Bando.
"Nihon-buyo" exactly means "Japanese dance" in English, but we use this word in the sense of this artistic dance.
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Kagura
Kagura is the dance for Gods of Shinto, so we can see it at any Shinto
shrine.
It is danced when the festival of each shrine or the ritual of
association.
In many case, female attendants of the shrine dance to the Gagaku
(Japanese ancient music). It is very slow and solemn.
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Bon-odori
Bon-odori means the dance at Bon season.
"Bon" is originally Buddhist event occurring from the 13th to 16th
August to hold a memorial service to the spirits of ancestors.
So in the old days, people danced for their ancestors for this time of
year.
Recently Bon-odori is danced in various days in summer. And it is
danced in throughout Japan.
Usually Bon-odori is held by each community association.
A tower is made in the center of town square, a big drum is played on
the tower, and many people in the town dance in a round to beat of the
drum and music. Of course, everyone can join it.
The movement of the dance is comparatively slowly, and all people dance
with same movement without holding hands or pairing like western folk
dance.
In this way, Bon-odori is a civic event, so some big ones are popular nationwide in Japan.
Awa-odori
Awa-odori is held in Tokushima
prefecture in Shikoku, and it is most
famous Bon-odori in Japan.
It is danced as local Bon-odori in each town in the prefecture, but one
of Tokushima city is a big festival.
It is held from the 12th to the 15th of August every year and more than
one million tourist visit.
Awa-odori is very lively. The tempo of music is faster than normal
Bon-odori, and hand bells are added as a instrument.
Men dance exaggeratingly and funnily, and Women dance modestly.
Commonly many groups called "ren" dance as a team through main streets
in Tokushima.
Gujo-odori
Gujo-odori is the traditional Bon-odori held at Hachiman town of Gujo
city in Gifu prefecture, which is a remote mountain city and
usually
called "Gujo-Hachiman".
It is held at 32 evenings from mid-July to early September, and
especially people in the city continues to dance through the night from
the 13th to 16th of August.
For this period, about 300 thousand tourists visit this small city.
Around a float on which musicians play, many dancers of the town dance
in a circle to folk music of Gujo.
The dance is relatively easy, so the tourists can join it.
Owara kaze-no-bon
Owara kaze-no-bon is the festival held at Yatsuo town to the south of
Toyama city in Toyama
prefecture.
It is held from the 1st to the 3rd of September every year, and about
300 thousand tourists visit.
Some music players play the folk song "Owara-bushi", and the dancers of
the town go dancing through the narrow streets.
The music is played with adding Chinese fiddle, so it is melancholy.
And the dance also is calm and elegant.
You may feel short on fun, but this naivety is the essence of this
festival.
In addition, because of increasing of tourists, the pre-festival is held from the 20th to 30th of August, the dance session is held for tourists and the model dance is performed every evening.
Eisaa
Eisaa is the Bon festival in Okinawa region.
Each regional young men's associations hold for their ancestors.
The leader parades with carrying a flag, many men dance with beating
drum and women dance with a yotsudake like castanet or a towel.
The men from the association sing the folk songs to "sanshin" of
Okinawan instrument.
The team goes door-to-door and they dance at each house.
The culture of Okinawa is different from one of the mainland of Japan, so Eisaa is similar to the festival of Continent a little.
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