Bon odori
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Ura bon (or obon) is a major Japanese festival and one which is celebrated
between the 13th and 16th of July (in some parts of Japan in August). The
purpose of the festival is to perpetuate and observe the memory of the
ancestors; at the time of the festival, their spirits are said to return
briefly to this world. Obon is a family festival and on the first day
visits are made by candlelight to the family graves and prayers are said in
front of the family altar.
Bon odori (bon dances) were originally a part of the religious rites but
towards the end of the Muromachi period (1392-1573) they developed as a
form of public recreation and the dances are held on mid-summer days
between July and the beginning of September in an atmosphere of great
gaiety and festivity. The dances, rather simple in form. are held in a
large open space around a central platform and they are enjoyed by young
and old alike.
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