Bon-Odori, Summer Festival

A highlight of summer festivals in Japan is the bon-odori (???/ Bon dance). Each region in Japan has their own version of the dance, as well as different music. In Japanese Buddhist tradition, dancing is a way to welcome the spirits of our ancestors and the celebrate life. Dancers circle the yagura, a high wooden bandstand for the musicians and singers. Come to learn the dance, see people dressed in yukata, and to hear and feel the sound of taiko drums.