The Maker Speaks
Awa Dance Festival
Tokushima's Representative Dance
Tokushima's Representative Dance
"Awa Dance Festival" is a traditional dance festival in Tokushima, Japan. Awa Dance is a kind of Bon Odori. Every year it is held from 12 to 15 August. Now the festival is very famous and goes on all over Japan like Tokyo.
People dance to the festival music with flutes, drums and shamisen. By sex, they dance in different ways. There are "Yukata Odori" and "Hantan Odori" for men. It is not strictly defined, however. So they say that girls and women sometimes dance in these styles.
On the other hand, women do the female dance wearing Torioi Gasa, Yukata and geta. It is important for them to dance in elegance and beauty.
Originally, Bon Odori comes from Nembutsu Odori performed in the Jodo sect. The nembutsu Odori was that they expressed the joy to believe their nirvana with a dance. Then, it got connected with the Bon events for a memorial service here and there.
Some point out that the Bon Odori are lately held forgetting spirit of memorial services. It is supposed they desire to say we should become devouter.
However, I don't agree. I believe we don't need to care. The local events can strengthen unity of the residents. One culture, therefore, would be spread and shared among the district. It can be also a memorial service for the dead. Time always flows. I believe the spread of a local event is so better than the future that the residents are going to share nothing among the community.
People dance to the festival music with flutes, drums and shamisen. By sex, they dance in different ways. There are "Yukata Odori" and "Hantan Odori" for men. It is not strictly defined, however. So they say that girls and women sometimes dance in these styles.
On the other hand, women do the female dance wearing Torioi Gasa, Yukata and geta. It is important for them to dance in elegance and beauty.
Originally, Bon Odori comes from Nembutsu Odori performed in the Jodo sect. The nembutsu Odori was that they expressed the joy to believe their nirvana with a dance. Then, it got connected with the Bon events for a memorial service here and there.
Some point out that the Bon Odori are lately held forgetting spirit of memorial services. It is supposed they desire to say we should become devouter.
However, I don't agree. I believe we don't need to care. The local events can strengthen unity of the residents. One culture, therefore, would be spread and shared among the district. It can be also a memorial service for the dead. Time always flows. I believe the spread of a local event is so better than the future that the residents are going to share nothing among the community.
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