Obon (お盆) is a Japanese Buddhist custom that honors the spirits of one’s ancestors. It is also a family reunion holiday which has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as
Bon-Odori.
The typical Bon-Odori dance involves dancing in a circle around a wooden scaffold called a ‘yagura’, the bandstand for the musicians and singers of the Obon music. Each region has its own local Bon-Odori, as well as different music accompanying the dance. The Bon-Odori of a region can depict the area's history and specialization. For example, the movements of the Tankō Bushi Bon of the old coal mine in Kyūshū depict movements of miners, i.e. digging, cart pushing, lantern hanging, etc. All Bon-Odori dancers perform the same dance sequence in unison and often use different kinds of fans which may have colorful designs.
Can you tell from my photo that I am not Japanese? But there is a little Japanese in my heart, my soul, if not my DNA.
My Army dad was stationed in Japan during the 1950s and my parents and older sisters lived for several years in Osaka. They returned to the states just before I was born.
Yes, I was conceived in the land of the rising sun! I grew up in an all-American house full of Japanese knick knacks,
Japanese music, Japanese photos and Japanese family movies. My first dog, a black cocker spaniel, even had a Japanese name – “Scochi”. They tell me it means “little”. Hence my little love for things Japanese.
So, though I have never been there, Japan is imprinted upon my brain. I associate it with memories of an eventful childhood. These are memories I cherish and appreciate more and more as the years pass. Memories ignited once again by the annual summer Obon.
My Obon Haiku
obon dancers throw
sparks to dry grass memories
which enflames my heart
Event: 2008 Obon Festival at the Buddhist Church of Lodi, California
