Japanese Bon Odori Festival NYC

Governors Island, NEW YORK —

Locals gathered at Governors Island, New York City on Saturday, August 31, 2019 to experience a piece of ancient Japanese culture through music, dance and food. The island was home to a local rendition of the Japanese Bon Odori festival, a holiday season rooted in Buddhist culture. The free public event gave visitors a chance to learn and engage in the festivities.

Japan Performing Arts, Inc. a New York City based non-profit that teaches and puts on Japanese cultural events, organized the ceremony on the island. Bon Odori is a major celebration held annually in Japan in August. The holiday commemorates deceased ancestors. On this occasion, people perform traditional Japanese dances called Bon Odori. Certain regions in Japan have signature Bon Odori styles such as Nishimonai Bon Odori from Akita prefecture, Gujo Odori from Gifu prefecture and Awa Odori from Tokushima prefecture.

In the afternoon at Nolan Park, attendees ate Japanese food and played games including ring toss competitions, watermelon splitting contests and sumo matches. Visitors also learned how to dance. In the evening, the crowd watched on Outlook Hill a dance troupe that flew all the way from Japan perform Bon Odori styles. Later, everyone danced together.

Camera: Nikon D90. Nikon 18-55 mm zoom lens. Nikon 70-300 mm telephoto zoom lens.

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