Obonai-bushi Bon-odori Festival 2011

Obonai-bushi Bon-Odori was held on Saturday, August 20th at Semboku City Government Tazawako branch building.

Obonai-bushi (生保内節) is an original folk song from Obonai area of Tazawako, Semboku City, Akita Prefecture. It used to be known as “Obonai-dashi,” which sings about the seasonal wind from the Sengan Mountain Pass (仙岩峠） over Akita and Iwate border. The strong wind is believed to accelerate snow melt in spring, repel insects from the rice in summer, provide rains during the draught, helps drying the harvested rice in fall; therefore, it has been familiarized as "Takarakaze," the Wind of Treasure.

The singing has a unique style of rhythm, so that it is considered one of the most difficult songs to master. Today it has been widely known among the minyo practitioners in all over Japan, so that the national competition has been held in Tazawako every year.

The dance is very simple so that even children can dance. Many people take this opportunity to meet with old friends and family or show their unique costume ideas like kunimasu, black kokanee (an endemic species believed to extinct that was recently discovered in Lake Saiko, Yamanshi Prefecture).

The festival is joined by hundreds of local people, with some stage performances in between the dances. On the stage during the intermission, different groups come to perform in front of the crowd. This year, a few young singers sang some familiar songs.

Last year, we welcomed the famous Nishimonai Bon-Odori group. This year, we welcomed dancers from Shizukuishi High School in Iwate Prefecture.

Watch their energetic performance! They are so joyful that it cheered up the crowd.

Obonai-bushi Bon-odori Festival is held every year after o-bon week.

Come join us next year!

 



Ishigami's Bonden Performance at Obonai Shrine

Ishigami is an area near Lake Tazawa, where traditional performing arts is enthusiastically practiced and passed down through many generations. At the annual festival at Obonai Shrine, on August 15th, the Ishigami Traditional Performing Arts Preservation Group (石神芸能保存会）held the final performance before they dedicate the bondens to the deity.

Here are some videos to show you the highlight of Ishigami Group's performance!

Part 1: Teodori, or Hand-Dance by a group mainly consisted of young girls.

Part 2:  A dance of a lord and his subordinate?




Part3: Another dance by men, a lord and his men drinking together?? (Fist Half)



Part 4: ... the lord and his men finally getting drunk?? (Second Half)



Part 5: Taue-odori, or Dance of Rice-Planting..



Part 6: Now it's time to dedicate the bondens to the main shrine. A group of men press down each bonden to the floor near the entrance to the main shrine and break it down violently.



Part 7:  Finally, the largest one is being destroyed..



Part 8: The Final Dance.

Bonden Festival at Obonai Shrine

Many Shinto Shrines are having a reitaisai, an annual festival this week. We have introduced the reitaisai of Gozanoishi Shrine in our previous post. Reitaisai at Gozanoishi was relatively small—held only inside of the main shrine gathering less than 20 people.

Obonai Shrine, 10 minutes walk from JR Tazawako Station

On the other hand, Obonai Shrine, another local one, gathers hundreds of crowd from Obonai Area. This festival is neither as touristic nor elaborated as in Akita City’s Kanto festival or Kakunodate’s Yama-Buttsuke festival; still, this festival is traditionally held and serves an important role in reuniting families and childhood friends who returned home during the obon week (August 13th- 16th).

Although the Obonai gathers multiplied number of crowds compared to Gozanoishi Shrine, the festival is still preserved within the community, not exposed or introduced in elsewhere.

Bondens in various sizes

A bonden is a wooden cylinder decorated with cloths and papers in various hues that has a sturdy wooden stick to hold. A typical group consists of 40-60 people including men to shake the weighty bondens (various size as in a family: parent, a child, grandchild, etc), folk-dancers, and a band of taiko drums, fluetes, and bells. They stroll around town as in parade, departing from their neighborhood, stops at almost every house along the way to get to their final destination, Obonai Shrine.

Ishigami Area, near Lake Tazawa, is an area where the traditional performing arts is well-preserved and passed down through many generations. Ishigami Traditional Performing Arts Preservation Group takes its pride to do so. And you will see it—they have fun! That is why many people flock to catch a glimpse of Ishigami Group’s performance!

Enjoy the photos, first. Next post: Videos of Ishigami Group's performance!

A groups of folk-dancers are usually consisted of young girls.

Flute players

Taiko Drums

The bands are loaded in this mini-truck.

A man reading the list of donations made to the group.

Mini Bondens.. held by the children

 

Lining up in front of the main shrine in the end of the festival.