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mbarkerWe've recently celebrated obon here in Japan. This is basically a celebration of the spirits of the dead returning to Earth for a short time, which mostly gets celebrated from August 13 to 15 (apparently Japanese ghosts, like salarymen, only get a short vacation, then it's back to work).
Typically, people go back to their hometowns, and there are plenty of bon celebrations, complete with bon odori (dancing), parades and such, fireworks, all that good stuff. People often wear yukata, light cotton robes, which suit the weather better than anything else. For most of Japan, it's a welcome celebration in the heat, a time for laughing, drinking, and relaxing.
This morning, the news had a short piece about one of the towns in the Tohoku area. This was a coastal town, with many dead from the earthquake and tsunami. However, some of the survivors dug the drums out of the wreckage, unstrung them, cleaned them, restrung them, and settled in to prepare. They've been putting in two hours a day practicing, even though they don't have airconditioning in their practice hall, so it's hot.
They talked with one of the men. He explained that his older brother always used to do this, but he was dead. So he had decided to take his place. Apparently several of the members were replacements, keeping the traditions of the town alive.
The news showed them, earlier this week, dressed in white yukata with bold black patterning, drums slung low, dancing on the cracked concrete dock, with mounds of wreckage from the tsunami behind them. There weren't very many of them, but they made a double line, and stood proud.
They swung their hands up, drumsticks with fancy fringes swirled and came down, boom, boom. As they stepped, and slid, and stepped and slid, pounding, pounding... sweat pouring down their faces, yukata flapping open across bare chests and stamping legs. A part of a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.
It was obon. The spirits of the dead had been with us again, and now return to their abode for another year. And the drummers and dancers of that small village sent them off in style.
Salut!
Typically, people go back to their hometowns, and there are plenty of bon celebrations, complete with bon odori (dancing), parades and such, fireworks, all that good stuff. People often wear yukata, light cotton robes, which suit the weather better than anything else. For most of Japan, it's a welcome celebration in the heat, a time for laughing, drinking, and relaxing.
This morning, the news had a short piece about one of the towns in the Tohoku area. This was a coastal town, with many dead from the earthquake and tsunami. However, some of the survivors dug the drums out of the wreckage, unstrung them, cleaned them, restrung them, and settled in to prepare. They've been putting in two hours a day practicing, even though they don't have airconditioning in their practice hall, so it's hot.
They talked with one of the men. He explained that his older brother always used to do this, but he was dead. So he had decided to take his place. Apparently several of the members were replacements, keeping the traditions of the town alive.
The news showed them, earlier this week, dressed in white yukata with bold black patterning, drums slung low, dancing on the cracked concrete dock, with mounds of wreckage from the tsunami behind them. There weren't very many of them, but they made a double line, and stood proud.
They swung their hands up, drumsticks with fancy fringes swirled and came down, boom, boom. As they stepped, and slid, and stepped and slid, pounding, pounding... sweat pouring down their faces, yukata flapping open across bare chests and stamping legs. A part of a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.
It was obon. The spirits of the dead had been with us again, and now return to their abode for another year. And the drummers and dancers of that small village sent them off in style.
Salut!
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Date: 2011-08-19 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-19 11:56 pm (UTC)