Japanese O'Bon Festival Dances for Reenactors

A Virtual Class Supplement to Dances Taught at Known World Dance & Music Symposium 2024 (and elsewhere) by Choi Min aka Jacquelyn Hansel

Introduction

Hello! If you are reading this page outside of taking this class/workshop, then here's a quick overview:  The Society for Creative Anachronism is a global medieval research and recreation group.  There are symposiums held on various topics, and Dance & Music is one of them.  Although originally only Medieval Europe, the SCA now covers any history, anywhere, before 1600 CE.  And being fun nerds, we also enjoy dancing and music.  

As the author of this page and "teacher" of this class (it's more like a panel at a convention), I wanted to introduce some of my favorite forms of dance.  In the SCA I focus heavily on East Asian history, and my loves are clothing, dance, and the arts, and how they are all influenced by history.  Due to this, with this class series - I hope to introduce simple dances that people can dance during summer events, as well as encourage participation with local matsuri in their community when they head back home.  

Without further ado, let's begin!  - Jacquelyn/Choi Min

Quick Notes About Terms

In case you are unfamiliar, here are some terms I will be using:

Children's Dance Circle

Pair of Screens with Festival Scenes, 1615–99, Unknown artist, Cleveland Museum of Art

Dancers, 1909-1910, by Kamisaka Sekka, (1866-1942), New York Public Library

Musicians in Costumes and Flower Hats

Pair of Screens with Festival Scenes, 1615–99, Unknown artist, Cleveland Museum of Art

Overview History of O'Bon Festival Dancing in Japan

O’Bon is a late summer ancestors festival, and has always included noise and fun in the cool summer evening.  The circle/line dancing is for everyone to participate in, and usually there is a raised center platform to see the inner circle of dancers and follow along, and hear the musicians playing the beat. 

"Bon odori, community dances held during Obon, which is observed in either July or August, is a uniquely Japanese custom that combines historical influences and religious practices. When the lunar calendar, based on the movements of the moon, and the 24 divisions of the solar year were transmitted to Japan from ancient China, seasonal changes like the lunar new year and the beginning of spring gained importance. The belief that the souls of the dead returned to the realm of the living at the new year and in the summer also gradually took root. This return of the souls in summer developed in syncretic form with the Buddhist practice of Urabon’e, giving rise to Obon as we know it today."

"Bon Odori emerged from the tradition of popular religious and folk music, with two styles of music: bushi, or folk songs, and ondo, folks songs influenced by the Goeika (religious chanting with bells)." - Susan Osa

Different Dances for Different Regions/Dance Teams: [will insert more here later]

Among the hundreds of these regional specific Bon Odori dances, there are those called “The Big Three Bon Odori.” They are: Nishimonai Bon Odori (Akita prefecture), Gujo Odori (Gifu prefecture) and Awa Odori (Tokushima prefecture). 

Nishimonai's Bon Odori might be the oldest Bon Odori still danced today. "The Onodera family, which ruled from Nishimonai Castle in the town of Ugo in today’s Akita Prefecture, was wiped out in 1601 following the lord’s support for the losing side in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Today’s Nishimonai Bon Odori originated in a memorial dance held for the dead lord by his surviving retainers at Obon, which later fused with local dances praying for bountiful harvests." says Haga Hinata, Head of the Haga Library and long time study of Japanese Folk Dance.

"It began as a harvest dance in Nishimonai in about 1280. In 1601 the lord of Nishimonai, Onodera Shigemichi, burned his castle after a defeat and the people danced among the ruins to remember their lord. These two dances were merged in the late 18th century to form the dance’s last incarnation which (despite attempts to stop it in the early 20th century) continues to this day." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugo,_Akita#cite_note-5 

Festive Dancing at a Samurai Residence, ca. 1660, the MET

A quick clip of the scene of Tanko Bushi being danced at the Kobe O'Bon Matsuri, posted in 2018.

For multiple reasons, Bon Odori often has two modes - day and night.  During the day the dancing can be rather tame, and then when the sun sets, and as more alcohol is consumed, the dancing speeds up and gets "crazier" or more "frenzied" is often a word used. 

Awa is the old name for Tokushima province. Awa Odori is the name of the festival dancing from that province. 

Bon Odori are meant to have simple choreographies, and the priority is having fun dancing with the crowd.  We can even see choreo's to Don't Stop me Now and Bahama Mama for O'Bon celebrations.  It's also common for new communities to make their own O'Bon choreographies and music.  For example, Japanese Americans have also created their own Bon Odori, as they've been hosting O'Bon matsuri's since 1905. Ei Ja Nai Ka? from 1994 by Hirabayashi is an example of one I have been taught in preparation for a North American O'Bon Matsuri. 

So for the purposes of this class, we will learn the classic Tanko Bushi (a staple at any O'Bon you might go to), as well as Yagi Bushi, one of my personal favorites.

Hopefully At your local O’Bon Matsuri you can participate with the crowd! 

Music You'll Need

I've compiled here a few music pieces that I might or might not use when demonstrating or teaching classes or panels at SCA events or Conventions.  Mostly note: the two songs by "Tokushima Awa Odori Association" and "Awaodori Promotion Association" are as official and clearly recorded Awa Odori music as we are going to get. 

Here is the most freely accessible recording for almost all the main Bon Odori you will need.  Others can be used but this is a favorite because it can be downloaded, and it is a lovely crisp recording. 

A Quick Introduction on Instruments

Drums

Flutes

Shamisen

Awa Odori

Awa odori dancer with an uchiwa in her obi.

Photo credit to owner, wasn't cited, found via Google Image Search.

Dancing Man with an Uchiwa, 

Monthly Customs and Entertainment Screen, 16th c., e-Museum of National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties, Japan

Awa odori dancers holding uchiwa.

Photo credit to owner, wasn't cited, found via Google Image Search.

Awa Odori is a specific two-step Bon Odori from Tokushima, Japan (it’s old name was Awa prefecture).  This is a very simple dance that has been performed in the Awa area, now called Tokushima, since it was popularly believed to have begun in 1586 when Lord Hachisuka Iemasa, the daimyō of Awa Province hosted a drunken celebration of the opening of Tokushima Castle.  It has now become a local take on the O’Bon festival.  It lasts three days in late summer.  Modernly, there are theaters where you can watch and participate in the dancing year-round. 

A more common setting to see Awa Odori - a street blocked off for a mini parade, doubling as a choreographed performance.  The different Awa Odori teams/troupes are in different colored uniforms.  These uniforms have an abundance of cherry blossoms for the festival this was performed at.

Here is a performance done for the new year.  For this special occasion, the dance troupe donned more "historically inspired" outfits, and are not using the iconic two tooth geta.  I've time stamped a good place to start if you don't want to watch the whole performance. 

Yagi Bushi

"One theory is there was a bad monk in Tokamachi Niigata, and to drive out that monk, a bad mouth song was created and sung. It was so funny it became popular." 

Yagi Bushi instructions (mirrored), in Japanese with English subtitles by Otomo Chisato.

Tanko Bushi - 炭鉱節

Tanko Bushi is not anywhere near the SCA's 1600 CE mark.  However, it is the most required dance to know when practicing for any O'Bon Matsuri, so I teach it during my class.  It imitates the work of a miner and is a choreography done at almost every O'bon. 

Tanko Bushi instructions in English, by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia.

Tanko Bushi instructions (mirrored), in Japanese with English subtitles by Otomo Chisato.

Souma Bon Uta  - 相馬盆唄

When the Bon Odori class was taught at Known World Music & Dance Symposium, there was plenty of time to teach a third, so Soma Bon Uta (相馬盆唄) was taught.  

Soma Bon Uta instructions in English, by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia.

An alternate video, using the same choreography by 鳳蝶流.  There are slight regional variations if you are to look up other tutorials. 

Image Dump - Will possibly use later