is a

Japanese festival Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time to have little resemblance to ...

held every year from September 1 to 3 in Yatsuo,

Toyama Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

, Japan. literally translates to "

Bon Dance or just is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist–Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people retu ...

of the Wind." This festival, having a history of about 300 years, recently became a popular tourist attraction to the otherwise sparsely populated mountain area. The original festival was held in order to appease typhoons and allow for a bountiful harvest of rice. The festival is uniquely held at night, creating an atmosphere sometimes described as "creepy" by onlookers. The streets are decorated with paper lanterns, and long rows of young men and women, their faces covered by low-brimmed straw hats, dance simultaneously to melancholic music. This particular style of music is also unique to the region, using the somewhat-unknown . A well-aged female voice and a traditional often accompanies the . The hats, worn with matching

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

, cover the dancers faces to hide them from the wrath of the god they hope to appease. One other feature of the dancers is that they are all unmarried; this originated in traditional ideas that performers involved in the festival may anger the gods through their dancing, and that to perform the dance is a form of virginal self-sacrifice. However, these are considered to be superstitious reasons, with other, more modern explanations - such as the dancers performing to meet other young unmarried people - also existing. Aside from the dance, games, trinkets and other traditional foods and services are also offered from the tiny shops lining the streets. Special Japanese paper is a popular souvenir for visitors to this festival.

References

External links

Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaze No Bon Festivals in Japan Tourist attractions in Toyama Prefecture Toyama (city) Japanese words and phrases