Japanese Bon Dance on Sado Island
Japanese Bon Dance on Sado Island
Overview
John Daub takes viewers to a vibrant summer festival on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, capturing the energy of a collaborative Bon Dance event. Held on a Saturday evening, the performance features a diverse lineup including traditional Japanese dance, international drummers from Uganda, and powerful Taiko ensembles. John highlights the unique fusion of styles, noting how the event kicks off with a Sado-style interpretation of the famous Awa Odori from Tokushima.
The video showcases the intensity and passion of Taiko drumming, with performers displaying visible exertion after minutes of powerful playing. John observes the artistic elements of the performance, comparing the creative sound play to the work of the renowned Kodo taiko group based on Sado. The event includes an intermission for food and concludes with an encore that gets the audience moving.
Filmed in August during the Obon season, this vlog offers a glimpse into local community celebrations away from the major city crowds. John wraps up by mentioning his plans to share higher-quality audio clips with Patreon supporters and noting the long drive back across the island, emphasizing the scale of Sado and the dedication required to attend these local events.
Highlights
- 03:33 John describes the start of the event with a Sado-style Awa Odori.
- 04:09 Drummers from Uganda perform with amazing percussion instruments.
- 04:28 Intense Taiko drumming performance shows the passion and physical pain of the drummers.
- 05:05 The diversity of sound creates an amazing harmony that makes you want to dance.
- 05:39 John recalls a previous visit in 2019 featuring a group from Korea.
- 06:25 The final encore performance wraps up the stage show.
- 11:17 John signs off after a hot day, noting the one-hour drive back across the island.
Timeline / Chapters
- 03:33 Event Overview & Awa Odori
- 04:09 Uganda Drummers Performance
- 04:28 Taiko Drumming Intensity
- 05:05 Musical Harmony & Encore
- 05:39 Performance Art & Kodo Style
- 06:25 Final Encore & Bon Dancing
- 11:17 Closing Remarks & Drive Home
Japan Travel Tips
- Event Timing: The performance runs for 90 minutes with a 20-minute intermission, starting around 6 or 7 PM.
- Location: Sado Island is accessible via ferry from Niigata City; allow plenty of time for travel as the island is large.
- Transport: John mentions a one-hour drive to get back to the other side of the island, indicating venues can be spread out.
- Season: August is peak Bon Festival season; expect hot weather and large crowds at local events.
- Engagement: Many Bon Odori events encourage audience participation; don't be shy to join the dance circle.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Bon Odori (盆踊り): A traditional folk dance performed during the Obon festival to honor the spirits of ancestors. Communities gather in yukata to dance in a circle around a raised stage.
- Awa Odori (阿波踊り): A famous style of Bon dance originating from Tokushima Prefecture, known for its lively music and specific choreography. John notes this event featured a "Sado style" version.
- Taiko (太鼓): Japanese percussion drums. On Sado Island, Taiko is culturally significant due to the presence of the world-famous Kodo drumming group.
- Kodo: While the transcript says "KOTO," this is likely a reference to Kodo, the renowned Taiko performance group based on Sado Island known for blending performance art with drumming.
- Mata ne (またね): A casual way to say "See you later" or "Again soon," used by John to sign off.
Food & Drink Guide
- Intermission Food: John mentions a 20-minute intermission where attendees can go get some food, though specific items are not detailed in this clip. Festival stalls (yatai) typically offer yakisoba, kakigori, or grilled meats.
People
- John Daub: Host and narrator. He provides context on the performances, shares his personal observations on the music and artistry, and connects the event to his previous visits to Sado Island.
Key Takeaways
- Sado Island hosts diverse cultural performances that blend traditional Japanese arts with international influences.
- Taiko drumming is physically demanding, requiring immense strength and passion from performers.
- Local festivals often include intermissions for food and socializing, fostering community connection.
- The island is large enough that driving times between locations can be significant (e.g., one hour across the island).
Notable Quotes
- 03:33 "They started off with a really festive dance. This looks like from Tokushima, the Awa Odori. But they did it Sado style, which is really interesting."
- 04:28 "My goodness, you can see the passion, the strength. They've been going on for like three or four minutes at this stage of the drumming and the pain is starting to really show."
- 05:05 "You can see it's kind of cool to have that diversity of sound and that's what music is. When a lot of different sounds come together, you bring an amazing harmony."
- 05:39 "A lot of what KOTO does is performance art and they have a lot of fun with it. So sometimes they get pretty creative, like having a game of catch with sound using the cymbals as gloves."
- 11:17 "But it's been a hot day. We got a one-hour drive to get back to the other side of the island. So I'll see you again tomorrow. Mata ne! Bye!"
Related Topics
- Sado Island Travel Guide
- Understanding Obon Festival in Japan
- Kodo Taiko Drumming Group
- Japanese Summer Festivals (Matsuri)
- Awa Odori Dance History
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #sado-island #bon-odori #taiko #niigata #festival #summer #awa-odori #japan-travel #kodo #performance-art #travel-vlog
Full Transcript
03:33 John Daub: You can see a lot of people starting around 6 or 7 o'clock. The performance goes on Saturday for 90 minutes with a 20-minute intermission where you can go get some food and come back. They started off with a really festive dance. This looks like from Tokushima, the Awa Odori (阿波踊り). But they did it Sado style, which is really interesting. Again, this is a good way to kick off the start of the event here.
04:09 John Daub: Here are the drummers from Uganda and they were just going at it with singing. It was really amazing. Again, like a xylophone? It's just an amazing percussion instrument with five or six people playing at the exact same time. I'll share the music with you another time because right now we're rocking the Bon Odori (盆踊り).
04:28 John Daub: But this one might be the most impressive. Check this one out. I'll share this with you tomorrow. My goodness, you can see the passion, the strength. They've been going on for like three or four minutes at this stage of the drumming and the pain is starting to really show from the taiko (太鼓) drumming here. This is a really powerful sound. They're very large drums on the stage here. These three guys just going at it in a triangle formation. Really amazing.
05:05 John Daub: You can see it's kind of cool to have that diversity of sound and that's what music is. When a lot of different sounds come together, you bring an amazing harmony that makes you start pounding your feet. But the encore was amazing. Here's the encore. It was just a lot of fun. And every year they always do one encore, maybe sometimes two. Maybe the last night tomorrow they'll do two. I'll try to record this and bring it to you. But yeah, this was an amazing event today.
05:39 John Daub: Every Saturday they have that collaborative taiko performance with the group. The last time I was here in 2019, I think it was a group from Korea that came and really produced an amazing sound. So I'm looking forward to the guests they have next year. But yeah, this got crazier as it went along. A lot of it is performance art. A lot of what KOTO does is performance art and they have a lot of fun with it. So sometimes they get pretty creative, like having a game of catch with sound using the cymbals as gloves. I thought that was really great.
06:25 John Daub: And this is the final. Again, it's not quite the same if you can't hear it, but it was a really good encore here. I'll share the sounds with you tomorrow when we're at another event. But let's for the next couple more minutes kind of enjoy the Bon Odori. Shall we dance? Did you do some Bon dancing?
11:17 John Daub: Yeah, Bon Odori. That shadow is rude. Just sharing a little bit of what we saw tonight. Anyways, it was a really good time. Sorry I couldn't live stream the event for you, but I'll show you some of the clips tomorrow with some of the sound as well as share it to our Patreon supporters. You get a chance, I'll put the clips together and I'll share that on there. So if you're a Patreon supporter, I'd appreciate it very much. I'll put it on there and then show you the clips with everybody tomorrow when I do some live streaming. But it's been a hot day. We got a one-hour drive to get back to the other side of the island. So I'll see you again tomorrow. Mata ne! Bye!