Bon odori
The circle dance performed at Obon to welcome and send off the spirits of the dead.
Also: obon dance
Bon odori is a folk dance performed at Obon, the Japanese summer festival for the ancestors, in mid-August. Dancers, many in cotton yukata, move in a circle around a raised wooden tower, a yagura, on which drummers play, following simple steps that anyone can learn. The dance welcomes the returning spirits and sends them off again. It is held at temples, parks and neighbourhood streets, with food stalls and lanterns. Each region has its own tunes and steps, such as the Awa Odori in Tokushima, which draws a million visitors. Japanese communities abroad also hold bon odori in summer.
Region: East Asia