Jinba Taiko and Samurai Taiko mashup
We went to hear the drums at the matsuri/festival near my MIL's home. Jinba Taiko are a traditional group from Hachioji, they also invited the Samurai Taiko to play with them this year. Samurai Taiko is a group from Yokota US Airbase in Japan, made up of mostly military personnel which means they are almost all Americans. I actually saw a Youtube posting of them playing at Hachioji Matsuri - yeah, part of the drums I missed last Sunday - and was surprised to see them here again. Neat though for the two groups to be playing together.
My cellphone was acting up - probably because I've been taking too many movies recently and it's memory was full. It kept shutting down every few minutes. So, I couldn't get an uncut performance on tape, but still got most of it.
I also taped a bit of the Obon dance later, where the drum groups acted as percussion as the people danced around them.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow are official Obon week. They are the days people usually go back to their home town to clean the graves of their ancestors and pray, etc. And the ancestors are supposed to return to visit their family. It's sort of like Halloween, in that it is believed that ghosts roam this time of year. I just looked up where the Obon dance came from, and there seems to be a story behind the whole festival and tradition according to Wiki:
Bon Odori originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana (Mokuren), a disciple of the Buddha, who used his supernatural powers to look upon his deceased mother. He discovered she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering.[3] Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past selflessness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated. See also: Ullambana Sutra.
As Obon occurs in the heat of the summer, participants traditionally wear yukata, or light cotton kimonos. Many Obon celebrations include a huge carnival with rides, games, and summer festival food like watermelon.[4]
Families sent their ancestor's spirits back to their permanent dwelling place under the guidance of fire: this rite was known as sending fire (Okuribi). Fire also marks the commencement (Mukaebi) as well as the closing of the festival.[5]
Anyway, here's the video.
My cellphone was acting up - probably because I've been taking too many movies recently and it's memory was full. It kept shutting down every few minutes. So, I couldn't get an uncut performance on tape, but still got most of it.
I also taped a bit of the Obon dance later, where the drum groups acted as percussion as the people danced around them.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow are official Obon week. They are the days people usually go back to their home town to clean the graves of their ancestors and pray, etc. And the ancestors are supposed to return to visit their family. It's sort of like Halloween, in that it is believed that ghosts roam this time of year. I just looked up where the Obon dance came from, and there seems to be a story behind the whole festival and tradition according to Wiki:
Bon Odori originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana (Mokuren), a disciple of the Buddha, who used his supernatural powers to look upon his deceased mother. He discovered she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering.[3] Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past selflessness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated. See also: Ullambana Sutra.
As Obon occurs in the heat of the summer, participants traditionally wear yukata, or light cotton kimonos. Many Obon celebrations include a huge carnival with rides, games, and summer festival food like watermelon.[4]
Families sent their ancestor's spirits back to their permanent dwelling place under the guidance of fire: this rite was known as sending fire (Okuribi). Fire also marks the commencement (Mukaebi) as well as the closing of the festival.[5]
Anyway, here's the video.
Click to view