I loved watching this community dancing event, and even was invited to join in after two women noticing me trying to get the steps in my body from the sidelines. Quite a lovely experience to be a part of the slowly circling group of people, a meditation in movement shared by the community.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Bon Festival: Dancing in the streets
After spending the afternoon in this quaint mountain village, we made our way back through the mountains as the sun was setting and the sky was lit up with periodic lightening and even a rainbow! We stopped in another small town to witness the celebration of Bon (which is a festival to celebrate the dead). In this small town people of all ages, some in traditional dress and others in modern street clothing all gather together to dance the traditional dances while musicians play in a small gazebo like building in the middle of the street.
More village photos
These photos will give you a sense of the village, it was very beautiful and although it was fairly high in the mountains, it was still (much to my personal disappointment) incredibly hot. There has been no escaping the heat on this visit to Japan. Each time I go outside it feels like I have stepped into a blast furnace of heat and humidity. Apparently most folks carry around a handkerchief of some sort to manage the constant stream of sweat.
Ogimachi Village: Japanese style living
As we drove out of Nagoya and into the mountains I simply could not get over how different these mountains were than any I have seen before. They are peaked and pointed but full of lush green trees and the peaks are closely condensed so there is one after another after another- as we drove north we went through one tunnel after another and each time we came out of the tunnels there was a new unfolding array of gorgeous mountain peaks. We drove for over two hours and came to a most remarkable town that still held the old Japanese style of living. The village is called Ogimachi and it is a quaint village that has homes in the gassho style with thatched roofs, which resemble hands in prayer. (gassho means to “pray”)
Family road trip to the mountains
After the morning Music Together classes, the entire family (Yasuyo, her husband, and two children) Scott and I ate lunch at a little local café, ramen noodles, udon and such- and then piled into two small vehicles and headed north into the mountains.
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