The rhythm of thunderous taiko drums, yukata-clad dancers, and waves of spectators engaging with performers will grace Alton Baker Park this Saturday as Eugene’s annual Japanese Obon and Taiko Drum Festival returns. The event lasts from 5 to 9 p.m., and admission is free.
Obon is a Japanese Buddhist holiday honoring the departed, especially ancestors, and traditionally includes dancing and other festivities.
“It’s a religious event made into a community folk dance,” said Kim Nago, festival organizer and member of the Eugene/Springfield Asian Council, sponsor of the event.
Eugene’s festival began with the purchase of a single drum in 1989.
“Misa Joo really started things. She bought a drum from California and told us the dealer would take it back if it wasn’t played,” Nago said. “So we formed a taiko group.”
The festival was celebrated in Eugene the following year to honor the holiday, showcase the group and generate a sense of Asian-American community in Eugene.
Both traditional and non-traditional dances are performed.
“One of the most popular is the Japanese Tanko Bushi, about coal miners,” dance instructor Seiko Kikuta said. “We also have hula dancers, who started performing at the festival last year,” she added.
“Our moves are fairly repetitive and easy to learn,” Kikuta said. “We invite the audience to participate as well.”
About a month before the performance, Kikuta meets with dancers to review choreography. These practices are held at the University’s Many Nations Longhouse, provided by the Native American Advisory Board.
The dances have deep meaning to many of those involved. Joo, another founder and committee member, said, “We dance for ancestors, for those who cannot, and for the values that all human beings share: getting along, and peace.”
Another facet of the dances is cultural identity.
“It’s nice to live in Eugene where we can teach our kids how to wear traditional outfits for a real reason – they’re outfits, not costumes,” Joo said.
Kikuta, who was raised as a Buddhist in Ogden, Utah, remembers dancing in the ceremonies as a child. Others, such as local bookstore owner Misa Smith, had their first experience with traditional Obon dances in Eugene.
“I grew up in a small community in Nevada. We didn’t have anything like this,” she said. “It’s grown so much, not just among Japanese-Americans, but among everyone.”
Organizers say the Obon Festival promises to be a joyful celebration of community for people of all ages and backgrounds, and to come prepared to participate.
“Eugene loves to dance, no matter what,” Joo said.
At A Glance
What: The Obon and Taiko Drumming Festival
Where: Alton Baker Park
When: Saturday, from 5 to 9 p.m.
What is Obon?
Pronounced “oh-bone,” Obon is a Japanese Buddhist holiday that honors departed ancestors, and is a period of praying for their souls.
Many people clean their houses and leave offerrings of food at their family shrines in preparation for the spirits of their ancestors, whom they believe return to their family’s home during the festival.
Taiko At A Glance
Taiko, pronounced tie-koh) are a form of Japanese drum. There are several types of Taiko, but the Odaiko, the biggest drum, is perhaps the most recognizable and can be so large that it is often immovable. Many are permanent fixtures in Japanese temples and shrines. Since the 1960s, when it was introduced to the U.S., many Taiko ensembles have started around the nation.
Drums, dancing and identity
Daily Emerald
July 25, 2007
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