Nakano, Japan
August is summertime in Japan! We're down to the last part of my #SummerInJapan series. Previously, I swam on Onjuku beach, attended a lantern floating festival in Tokyo, and got fascinated with Atami's grand fireworks display. This time, get ready to dance!
There are so many Bon Odori events all over Japan. Odori means dance so expect there will be a lot of dancing at this event. Usually, there will be dancers and people like me are just spectators. In Nakano City's Bon Odori or Nakabon as the locals would call it, everybody can dance. Even if you have two left feet, no need to worry. The important thing is just to have fun!
Bon Odori (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.[13] Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region.
source: Wikipedia
This summer marks the 10th year that Nakano has organized this Bon Odori Festival. I live near but I honestly didn't have any idea of the past years' Nakabon. The festival was held in an open field, in Nakano Central Park. The park is just walking distance from where I live so sometimes I go there to just enjoy the scenery. I'll tour you around the park next time!
Getting to Nakano Central Park is easy. It's just a few steps away from Nakano station. If you're coming from Shinjuku station, you can ride the train going to Nakano, it's the next stop if you take the rapid train.
Nakabon was held on the first weekend of August. I went there on the Saturday only because I had plans on Sunday. There were so many people! And so many were dressed for the occasion. Where's my yukata?!
The festival venue had a gated fence. Although you just can really enter without going through this entrance, I'm a good citizen and everybody's doing it so I abided by the rules. 😇 The fence was not so strictly implemented though. 😅
Upon entering, you'll be greeted by the number of people trying to buy food and drinks. What's a festival without the food and drinks, right?
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I didn't eat anything when I left the house so the smell of all of these delicious food was making me so hungry. I didn't buy anything though, I wasn't so patient in waiting for my turn.
Next to the food and drinks corner was a big space reserved and going further, there's a crowd surrounding the gated dancing area and stage.
Days before the Nakabon, people could register for the free dancing class. I didn't register though but it would have been so much fun! Maybe next year, who knows? 😉
I read in an article that Nakabon was trying to break the Guinness World Record of the number of dancers in Bon Odori but when I went there, it seems that it was not happening. There were only a few dancers and people take turns in entering the "dancing area" whenever there's a new performer on stage.
While waiting for the next performance, I took a photo of the uchiwa I got for free. Uchiwa (団扇) is a Japanese traditional fan that is usually seen during summer. It's kinda round and does not fold.
The dancing area was wide. I think it could fit 50 people. Actually, I wanted to enter the "dancing area" to join the fun but I didn't know what's up with me at that time that I decided not to. Maybe the hunger?
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In the middle of the performance, there were 3 drunk men who joined the dancing but since their steps were not in sync with what the dancers on stage were performing, they were kinda reprimanded by the officials. In the end, they left the dancing area (maybe because they were too drunk to give a f*ck). 😂 By the way, I saw them illegally entering so when they tried to leave, they went back to where they illegally entered. The officials told them where the actual exit was but now, the officials knew about the illegal entrance. (It's not really illegal but since it's a gated area, it's somewhat fun to call it illegal).
After listening to the songs and watching people dance, I went around the stage area. Take note, I was standing the entire time I was watching. 😅
I was really fascinated hearing the songs and the sound of the musical instrument. Up close, I was even more fascinated. Some of the performers are old already but you would think they're still young when they perform on stage. I have so much respect to these guys uplifting and continuing to promote this culture of Japan.
It was fun to see the lanterns up close. I'm not sure if the text in the lantern is handmade but if it is, it's excellent! I really want to join Japanese calligraphy classes to be able to write this well.
I thought there's nothing to find at the back of the stage but I was surprised to see a lot of kids here. Turns out, this area was the shops corner, and most shops were selling toys. Some have a lottery where a kid gets to pick from a box and will won a toy based on the number he/she got.
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I got hungry so I went back to the food area. To my surprise, everybody was dancing in the space from the stage to the food area. It was so much fun! This time, the music was modern songs and the ones that were so famous!
From a once spectator, now I couldn't help but to join the dance! The DJ on stage was so fun too. Aah, how I wish I was with friends at that time, it would have been more fun to compete dance with friends. I went alone but still I enjoyed it.
The dance steps were pretty simple. Of course, we still followed what the organizers were doing but it's funny to dance with these steps that was for the folk dance, to the modern and foreign songs like YMCA, Dancing Queen and Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer. 😅
Here's the video I took in Nakano Bon Odori. Watch til the end to see the crowd dancing to modern songs!
The event ended at 9PM but I was already so tired from dancing and for sure, many people would be going in the same direction as me so I escaped from the crowd and left before 9PM. I wasn't sure if I was sweating from the high-performance level dance I did or from the summer heat. All I know was the dance helped me relieve stress. 😅
See you next year, Nakabon!
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
All photos and videos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.
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