Well, actually, I had been on one snow trip with my family. And one time, on a road trip, we made a stop at a rest area where there was snow piled up, and we played with it, but I had never actually seen snow fall from the sky.
Perhaps this is why I was freaked out when I first saw it snow.
It was back in the winter of 2006. I was sitting at the office of the school where I worked, when a teacher pointed out the fact that it was snowing outside. "Snow?" I thought to my self. "This I gotta see."
And there, as if it were materializing out of nowhere, were floating strands of cotton-like snow. I was seriously freaked out. It took me a while to get used to it.
I had seen it snow in movies, and I had seen snow be depicted in video games, but it's quite a different experience to actually be there present and watch it snow.
I was riding on my bike that same winter. I must have been on my way home from buying groceries or running some errand, when I noticed the wind was blowing around what seemed like bits of fluff. I could have sworn the wind had picked up dust bunnies, the kind that accumulate behind your couch or furniture that hadn't been moved in a while.
But upon closer inspection, it was snow again!
It was cold enough to snow. That would explain why my hands felt like they were frozen solid as I rode my bike down the sidewalk.
Snow is strange to me...
I associate stuff falling out of the sky with clouds.
If it's raining, there have to be clouds.
Logically, if it's snowing, there have got to be clouds also.
But for whatever reason, snow can materialize out of thin air, and fall to the ground and pile up, and this freaks the hell out of me!
I continue to be mystified by snow.
I hope one day to experience what they call a "White Christmas."
In Osaka, it snows, but it rarely piles up.
They say that once every 10 years or so, it actually snows in Osaka enough to pile up, make snow men and have snowball fights.
The last time I saw it snow like that was in fact that year of 2006.
We're long overdue.
Snow in Video Games
Some of the most memorable games for me had snow in them. In fact, oftentimes, the snow levels stood out in my mind for whatever reason. Either the scenery was visually appealing, or the level had interesting music.
I think the very first time I saw snow in a video game had to be in Megaman, Ice Man's world.
Ice Man's Stage, Megaman I
Fighting Ice Man
After that it had to be Super Mario 3, World 6.
After that it had to have been the snow level in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 for the original NES.
One of the biggest reasons I remember this level is because it had some very memorable music. I've included a link to it here.
But one of my most favorite snow levels was the one in Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts. Aside from being visually appealing, I really liked the music which was set to 5/4 time.
The snow levels in Adventure Island II also had great visuals and music.
Snow and ice were a recurring theme in Megaman games. Ice Man in the very first game, then Blizzard Man in the 6th game, Freeze Man in the 7th game, and Cold Man in Megaman & Bass. Not to mention Chill Penguin and Blizzard Buffalo in the X series.
Blizzard Man Stage
Fight with Blizzard Man
Freeze Man Stage
Blizzard Man
OK, Cloud Man wasn't an ice or snow character, but it did snow in his stage...
Cold Man Stage
Cold Man Battle
Chill Penguin Stage
Battle with Chill Penguin
Blizzard Buffalo Stage
Fight with Blizzard Buffalo
I never really saw it snow in a Zelda game, but then again, I didn't really play anything further than A Link to the Past. I do remember one of the dungeons in the Dark World in A Link to the Past had ice and snow in it however...
Snow appears in the very first Samurai Shodown game in Nakoruru's stage.
Her sister would later on appear in the third game in the series, with the element of snow and ice at her side.
Snow also appears in Samurai Shodown 2, in Jubei's stage.
The Phendrana Drifts level in Metroid Prime was visually beautiful, and it had memorable music I can still recall today...
In the game Metroid Fusion, there is a scene where Ridley's remains were frozen stiff in an artificial snowing environment. The music was eerie and strange. The slow, lullaby-like music seemed to personify the ice and falling snow. I'll never forget it.
Touched
off by my last post on the Japanese holiday of Obon, and the fact that it's Halloween, and tomorrow will be the Mexican Day of the Dead, I decided to write this post focusing on the concept of Hungry Ghosts.
Since
I learned about the East Asian concept of "Hungry Ghosts," I found it
intriguing. Initially, I found it rather contrasting with Western ideas
of what a ghost is supposed to be, but the more I read about it, the more I have
come to
think that these Eastern and Western ideas may not be entirely different
after all.
When
I think of a "ghost" in the Western sense, I think of the spirit or
soul of a person who has died, but hasn't yet "crossed over" into heaven
or hell. A ghost may be around haunting places, objects, or even
people, because
it as "unfinished business" on earth; events the ghost would like to
see happen before its soul can finally rest in peace.
So
when I first read about "the Hungry Ghosts," I thought it was strange.
Ghosts are dead. They lack physical bodies that must be nourished
by food, let alone digestive tracts that yearn to digest it. This
suggests that they
can "die" again, if they don't get food. Or what what would the food
sustain if it the ghost is already dead?
There
are some common threads that seem to run through both the Western and
Asian idea of a "ghost." The first is the idea of being stuck somewhere
in a realm between the land of the living and a final resting place for
spirits.
The second is the idea for yearning, want, or desire for something. In
this sense, the ghosts in both cultures are "hungry." And the third
seems to be the need for some sort of atonement in order to escape this
realm; you don't want to be a hungry ghost, you
want to be a satiated ghost. The difference seems to be in the
objectives or requirements that need to be fulfilled in order for this
to happen; the "unfinished business" is different.
Whereas
in the West, a ghost is usually searching to fulfill something, finding
a lost object, seeing a person that wasn't present at its death,
mourning the destruction, holding his or her murderer responsible etc.,
in the case
of the Buddhist Hungry Ghost, the ghost is atoning for the specific
deeds of its greed and stinginess as a living being on earth.
Realm of Hungry Ghosts on the
Buddhist Wheel of Life
This could be telling of where Western
and Eastern traditions might place value; in the West, a ghost might be
seeking to fulfill an individual, almost selfish
desire or want, in the East, the ghost is paying the price for being a
self-serving, stingy person in life, who cared more about him or herself rather
than helping others.
The
moral the Western idea of ghosts seems to be, live life to the fullest;
have no regrets. You may be a ghost crawling the earth unless you
complete everything on the bucket list. But the moral the Eastern idea
of ghosts seems
to be, put others before you; don't be so stingy and greedy, or when
you die, you will know what it feels like to be on the receiving end.
So in both cultures you can become a hungry ghost, but for different reasons.
In
Buddhist traditions, right moral actions on earth determine whether or
not you will be reborn in Nirvana, or will continue to be reborn in one
of the realms of Samsara, such as the realm of Hungry Ghosts.
The Western Judeo-Christian
tradition is similar, but slightly different; right moral actions determine whether your soul/spirit will
be sent to heaven or hell, but being a ghost crawling around on earth in between the spirit and physical realm seems to be a separate phase that
exists only in those cases where the deceased has "unfinished business" on
earth, which seems to have nothing to do regarding
his heaven/hell status. Once you "cross over," your soul "rests in peace," until "Judgement Day."
For Buddhists, being a Hungry Ghost IS its own "hell."
There may be a point at which both cultures meet; a ghost in the western sense may be around because of regret of wrongdoing. Perhaps the ghost feels responsible for killing someone and is trying to atone for that somehow. Perhaps a ghost feels responsible for having stolen something in life, or hidden it, or may be responsible for fraud and it may be around trying to "undo" that deed.
The processes may be different, but in the end, perhaps the idea of ghosts in both cultures may be getting at the same thing, placing value on doing good earthly deeds, such as showing restraint and being benevolent to others on earth etc., so that one may enjoy a favorable and/or fulfilling afterlife.
Where both cultures seem to differ is the final destination of souls.
While in Buddhist traditions, all beings continue to be reborn into one of the realms of Samsara and have a chance to attain "enlightenment," if only they would choose to be "awake," acknowledge the Four Noble truths etc., in Western Judeo-Christian traditions, you get only one chance; if you live a righteous life, heaven awaits, if you live a life of sin you will burn in hell for eternity, and there is no escape.
Ghosts in Video Games
My earliest recollection of a ghost appearing in a video game has got to be of when I played Super Mario 3. In the instruction booklet, the bashful ghost that hides its face when you turn to it was called "Boo Diddley."
Similar ghosts appear in Super Mario World, only now they appear in hordes called the "Boo Buddies."
Now just known as "Boo," these ghosts come back to haunt Mario in later games, appearing hungrier than ever.
Inclusively, Mario is able to become a ghost as one of his abilities in Super Mario Galaxy.
Very recently, I ran across a video on YouTube, on a channel called "Gaming Historian." It's about a game I played a long, long time ago when I was in elementary school, called "Conquest of the Crystal Palace."
The video brought back memories, including one where I was mesmerized by one of the levels, namely Level 3, where the music was creepy, and the background seemed like the faces of other-worldly creatures, like aliens of some kind.
Interestingly enough, a girl named Kim is always around at different parts of each level to try and sell you stuff and give you "news bulletins" from a news network called "QNN." She is somehow around in this level despite all the danger.
And the news bulletin you get from her at this part of the stage is the only hint on where you're at. The words of the bulletin stayed in my mind, and seeing the above video made me somehow remember them.
And I had always asked myself... "Hungry ghosts... What are these hungry ghosts..."
Years later, when I began to study Japanese language and culture, I would come across these words again, when I researched the origins of Obon. When I read about Mokuren's mother ending up in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, memories of this game resurfaced. I felt like Dory from Finding Nemo when she started recalling everything at once.
AH!!! HUNGRY GHOSTS! THIS GAME! THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS!!!
After seeing the above video, stuff started making more sense. Before I saw it, I had no idea that efforts were made to censor parts of the game. One of the parts of the game to be majorly affected was Level 3, which looks even more creepy in its original form. The hungry ghosts are more clearly seen.
Perhaps the most obvious reference to the Hungry Ghosts as depicted in traditional Buddhist art is the character Yokai Kusaregedo, from one of my most favorite videogame series, Samurai Shodown.
Yokai Kusaregedo is a tragic character as he is quite literally a hungry ghost that crawls the earth looking for food. He has an insatiable appetite for human flesh.
But perhaps the most memorable ghost for me in video games that has stayed in my mind haunting me since the day I saw it has got to be the ghost from the game Zelda: Link's Awakening for the Gameboy.
Ghosts have appeared in the Zelda series since the very first game on the original NES.
And they appear as normal enemies in Zelda Link's Awakening.
But this one particular ghost starts following you and he won't leave you alone until you do what it asks you; take it to its old house.
After seeing its old house abandoned and dilapidated, one last time, it finally asks you to take it to its grave, the ghost's final resting place.
For your service, the ghost awards you a Secret Seashell which it tells you is hidden in a jar in its old home. And there, your quest with the ghost ends.
This mini side-game/story really stayed in my mind after playing this game. I always asked myself... Who was this the ghost of? What did it do in its life? Did it have relatives? A mate? Why did it want to see its house again?
This was one of those ghosts who was "hungry," but in the Western sense.
For whatever reason, I feel like this ghost right here...
A part of me wishes it could go back to the house where I grew up... To recall all the memories I had as a child...
Summer has come and gone, and now Japan is getting ready to enjoy the fall season. If it's something that the Japanese are traditionally fond of, it's the seasons, and the changing of them. The Japanese have symbols that announce every season, and even the time in-between. In Japan, there are certain flowers, certain foods, certain sounds, certain moods, certain smells, certain songs, certain poetry, certain scenery that is associated with a particular season, or even part of the season.
The time is now Autumn, when the temperature begins to fall, the leaves change color, the days shorten, and certain foods are in season. The Japanese associate the fall with an increase in appetite, so much so that they have a term for it; "shokuyoku no aki." (食欲の秋) This is the time when Japanese take trips to go see the autumn foliage at temples and shrines. The weather begins to get chilly, and people gather at houses and local bars to eat different kinds of food together, in particular Japanese hot pot, or nabe. (鍋)
An Autumn scene in Kyoto
A family enjoying sukiyaki
Autumn is moon viewing season in Japan. That is, the Japanese hold special rites to worship the moon. Traditionally, it is believed that the full moon of the 8th and 9th month of the old calendar are the brightest moons of the year, and the best time to take time out to observe the moon's beauty. The tradition of appreciating and making offerings to the moon is called Otsukimi (お月見), and it is said to be introduced to Japan during the Heian period, when Japanese aristocrats began introducing elements of the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival to the country, making offerings and reciting poetry under the Harvest Moon.
Today, Otsukimi is observed on both the full moons of September and November; in September, the full moon is observed (15th night of the lunar month), while in November, the moon is observed while it is still waxing (13th night of the lunar month). Because the dates refer to the old Japanese calendar, they don't always fall on the same day every year.
For Otsukimi, the Japanese decorate their houses with pampas grass, and make special rice cake dumplings called "Otsukimi Dango." (お月見団子) Traditionally, these rice cakes are made, eaten, and offered to the moon, along with sweet potatoes, which are a harvest of the season.
An Otsukimi offering of rice dumplings, or otsukimi dango
The Harvest Moon is forever immortalized
in the traditional Hanafuda playing cards. This is the Harvest Moon depicted in the "August" suit. The 8th month in the traditional
Japanese calendar corresponds with
September in the Gregorian calendar. Hey! Hadn't you seen this card before?
Speaking of which, I'd like to talk a little bit about one of the foods most often eaten by the Japanese during the fall and winter season, and that's baked sweet potato, or yakiimo. (焼き芋) Come fall, it becomes yakiimo season, and one can begin to see freshly baked sweet potato at grocery and convenience stores.
Sometimes, you can even hear it being announced on loudspeakers, by men selling them out of a truck that has an actual oven for baking sweet potatoes on it. Almost like we would hear an ice cream truck back home, one can hear a passing yakiimo truck announce "Yaaaaaaaa-ki-imoooooo!!!" My wife likes it so much she always tells me to go chase the man down and buy a few for her.
When you buy baked sweet potato from a truck, you'll often get it wrapped in newspaper
A Yakiimo truck. Can you see the stove's chimney coming out the back?
Did you know that in Japan, it is traditionally believed that the image on the moon is that of a rabbit pounding away at a mortar making mochi? (餅) It's true! The association is so strong, that another symbol for Otsukimi, and thus the Autumn season in general, is a rabbit. The image of the rabbit pounding mochi on the moon is called "usagi no mochitsuki." (うさぎの餅つき)
I always thought that the moon looked like a sad, crying face...
I wonder why it's sad... Maybe when it sees that Americans are being forced to choose between Billary Clinton and Donald Drumpf, it can't help but cry... (HAH HAH HAH! X-D )
One last thing.
There are a lot of reasons why I just love McDonald's in Japan. The service is just so much better in comparison to McDonald's back home, the food quality is also better, and there is just so much variety on the menu that's always changing. One of the things I just love about Japanese McDonald's is that even here, one can observe the Japanese' love for the changing of the seasons. They have special burgers and foods that are served only for a limited time during different times of the year.
Right now, you can go to McDonald's and buy one of three different "Otsukimi Burgers." For whatever reason, a fried egg has been associated with Otsukimi, and if a food has an egg in it, it can be called "Otsukimi" something.
From left to right; the "Mangetsu Cheese Tsukimi," "Cheese Tsukimi," and plain "Tsukimi" burgers.
(Mangetsu, 満月, means "full moon.")
Tsukimi soba, a bowl of soba noodles with a poached egg on top. Perhaps the egg yolk is associated with the moon?
Summer is Obon (お盆) season in Japan. But what is Obon? What do people do? Why do people do it? In this post, I want to talk extensively about one of my most favorite of Japanese celebrations.
Why do I like Obon so much? Well, there are many reasons. For one, it bears resemblance to a couple of holidays with which I'm already familiar. I'm fascinated by the traditions surrounding the holiday. I'm also allured by the rich music and dance tradition of Obon.
Obon is the Japanese tradition of honoring the dead. Similar to the western holiday of Halloween, and the Mexican holiday of "Dia de Los Muertos" (Day of the Dead), it is believed that the spirits of the dead visit the land of the living. For Obon, there is much that is done to revere the spirits of ancestors, and often, the spirits of the dead in general.
During this time, it is a custom for Japanese people to return to their hometowns to gather with their families. Obon is such an important holiday, that most companies give employees the time off to return to their hometowns and participate in the festivities and ancestral rites.
Because Obon is such a busy season, prices for travel tends to be through the roof at this time of year. If you're planning to leave the country during the summer, it's best to book way ahead in advance, otherwise you'll be out of luck unless you pay an arm and a leg.
The first time I ever heard of Obon was when I watched the movie The Karate Kid II. Actually, this movie was like a gateway for me into Japanese culture. It fascinated me the idea that the community would get together for a festival and dance together to traditional music. At that time I had no idea what the holiday entailed, but I wanted to learn more. And the more I found out, the more fascinated by Obon I was!
But before I get into the festivities of Obon, I think it's proper for readers to understand the origins of Obon first. What exactly is it? How did it start? What are people celebrating? Why?
Origins
The word “Obon” is an abbreviation of the word “Urabon’e” ( 盂蘭盆会), which
in turn is an adaptation of the Sanskrit word “Ullambana,” which means
“hanging upside down.” In older Buddhist tradition, hanging upside down
implies great suffering. The Obon festival originates from a story in
the Ullambana Sutra, which tells of a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha,
named Maudgalyayana, or Mokuren (目連) in Japanese.
Mokuren was said to have had supernatural powers that allowed him to look into other realms, which he used to investigate the whereabouts of his deceased mother. He was dismayed to find his mother in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts (餓鬼道, gakido), suspended upside down and starving for food.
"Ullambana" means "suffering, hanging upside down."
The Realm of Hungry Ghosts is said to be a place where people who are stingy and greedy in life are reborn. They are said to be reborn as spirits who suffered from want and desire for things they could never obtain. Hungry ghosts (餓鬼, gaki) are thirsty, but cannot find water. Hungry, but cannot find food. Any food they do find is difficult to eat, for it bursts into flames, or is too big to pass through the hungry ghost's long, thin neck. They are said to have large bellies that can never be satiated, dry mouths that will never know the moisture a cold, refreshing drink. To forage the earth in search of food and water, and never find it, is said to be the hungry ghost's punishment for their greediness and stinginess in life, for refusing to give food and water to those searching for it.
In Buddhist tradition, it is believed that people who were stingy
and greedy in life, would be reborn in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.
Using his powers, Mokuren tried to bring food to his mother, but anything he brought for her would burst into flames as soon as it was brought to her mouth. His mother would catch fire, and upon trying to dowse her with water, the water would turn into oil, aggravating the situation.
Mokuren, trying to feed his hungry mother.
Distressed, Mokuren went to Shakyamuni for guidance on how he could relieve his mother from suffering. Mokuren learned that his mother was in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
because she was greedy and stingy in life, and that the way to save her
was for him to do the opposite of what she did on earth. Shakyamuni told
Mokuren to make food offerings to the Buddhist monks that gathered for
their retreat for the rainy season. During that time, Buddhist monks
would gather in one location for the rainy season to avoid killing the
creatures that would crawl about. The last day of their retreat was on
the fifteenth day of the seventh month, which was Mokuren’s chance to
atone for his mother’s transgressions.
Mokuren offered much food to the numerous priests as instructed. Before the last priests had left, he asked them to grant him a small portion of the food he had just offered. He used his powers to bring this food to his mother in the world of hunger. Miraculously, this food did not turn to fire, and for the first time in ages, Mokuren's mother was able to put food in her mouth and eat it. In this way, Mokuren was able to relieve his mother from the suffering of hunger.
The Ullambana Sutra teaches that the spirits of one's ancestors benefit from one's good deeds, and by contrast, suffer for evil deeds. Accordingly, through Mokuren's atonement, and through the continuance of his good deeds, it is taught that his mother was eventually able to escape the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and attain enlightenment. Thus, Obon is a holiday that serves as a reminder of the importance filial piety. (親孝行, oyakoko)
Festivities
The Obon festival traditionally lasts for three days, centering on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. On the eve of the festival, a special altar is erected in front of the Butsudan (仏壇, Buddhist alcove, or altar) on which offerings are made to the spirits who are said to be visiting.
Customs vary from region to region and from home to home, but they include visiting the graves of one's ancestors, washing them, burning incense and praying to them. (お墓参り, ohaka mairi)
A believer tending to the family grave.
A believer praying at the family grave.
It is said that the spirits need light to guide them in the dark, so lanterns are lit and fires are burnt so that they may arrive safely. This is called "mukaebi" ( 迎え火, lit. welcome fire).
Typical welcome fire (迎え火, mukaebi)
Not all Buddhist sects do this, but in some traditions, it is customary to feed all the ghosts who visit the land of the living. Rites are held to feed the souls of hungry ghosts foraging for food called "segaki" (施餓鬼). Food and water is left out as an offering for spirits who have no one to tend to them, or hungry ghosts looking for food.
Don't be stingy; give willingly to those who do not have to eat or drink,
or you may one day become a hungry ghost yourself.
The last day of Obon is a very sad one, as this is when believers bid farewell to the spirits of their ancestors. In the evening, lanterns and fires are lit once again to provide a guiding light for the spirits back to the land of the dead, called "okuribi" (送り火, lit. send-off fire). In some traditions, lanterns are set afloat on a nearby river.
Lanterns set afloat on the water provide a guiding light to spirits
In Kyoto, large bonfires are burnt on the sides of five hills in the form of pictures and Chinese characters in an event called "Daimonji-yaki" ( 大文字 焼き, lit. the burning of large characters).
Daimonji-yaki in Kyoto
After the Bon Dance, families hold closing ceremonies. They
light fires or candles to bid farewell to the spirits. Buddhist altars are
cleaned and lanterns and decorations are put away. Families part separate ways,
and the festival is over, until next year.
When is Obon?
Like Tanabata, and other traditional holidays, dates for Obon vary from region to region, due to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. Traditionally, Obon centers around “the fifteenth day of the seventh month,” however this was in reference to the older lunar calendar, which can lag behind the Gregorian calendar by about a month. So some regions celebrate Obon on the fifteenth of July ( 七月盆, shichigatsu-bon), as July is the seventh month of the year, and others celebrate Obon on the fifteenth of August ( 八月盆, hachigatsu-bon) in order to bring the celebration closer to the lunar date. Still, others keep track of the older lunar calendar, and celebrate Obon accordingly (旧盆, kyu-bon, lit. “old bon”).
Bon Odori
It is said that when Mokuren was finally able to see his mother successfully enjoy a morsel of food, he was so overjoyed that he began to dance. This dance of joy and gratefulness is supposed to be the origin of the bon dance, or “Bon Odori” in Japanese, and bon dances are held every year all over Japan as part of the celebration of Obon. Nowadays,however, the original religious meaning of the bon dance has faded, and it has become nothing more than a dance associated with summer.
The bon dance is one of the most beautiful traditions of the Japanese culture. It is a tradition that varies greatly from region to region. For most bon dances, participants join in a dance around a scaffold called a “yagura” (櫓), which is erected at a central location, such as a Buddhist temple, a park, or a school, from where musicians perform the music for the dance.
In most bon dances, people dance around a yagura
In some regions, however, troupes of dancers parade through the streets accompanied by musicians, or by music broadcast over a PA system. Bon odori participants often wear “yukata” (浴衣), which is a thin kimono traditionally used in the summer, adding to the atmosphere of the season.
Women performing "Hanagasa Odori" (花笠踊り, lit. "Flower Hat Dance") This song and dance are particular to Yamagata Prefecture.
河内音頭: Kawachi Ondo
Traditionally, the bon dance is performed to a local folk tune, which, along with the accompanying dance, describes the trade, geography and/or history of the region. In recent times, however, new music has been adopted for bon dance accompaniment, including late enka hits, and new music written specifically for bon dancing. Even non-traditional music is starting to make the bon dance scene, such as music from Japanese anime and western pop. In Osaka, the bon dance is accompanied by the song "Kawachi Ondo," which originates from Yao City. The name of the song derives from an older administrative division in modern-day Osaka, known as "Kawachi."
Kawachi Ondo is a living, fluid folk music tradition. Though there are sets of lyrics that have been handed down for generations, the form of Kawachi Ondo is such that new lyrics can always be written, or improvised on the spot. The song is used to tell epic tales, usually about historic people, lore, geography, even the yakuza. Expert singers that devote themselves to Kawachi Ondo even use the song to talk about current events, or sing words directly from a newspaper. The instruments used to perform Kawachi Ondo are always a taiko drum (太鼓) and the shamisen (三味線), though modern instruments such as electric guitars and bases are also used nowadays.
The shamisen (left) is a Japanese three-stringed lute, while
the taiko (right) is a Japanese drum beaten with sticks called "bachi."
The form of the song also lends itself to newer, modern styles, such as jazz or reggae, and in this sense, the song is in constant evolution.
A video of me singing a version of Kawachi Ondo
Reggae-style Kawachi Ondo. Check it out!
Goshu Ondo (江州音頭)
The song that accompanies the bon dance in most regions in Osaka is Kawachi Ondo. However, a long time ago, a different song from Shiga Prefecture was imported, called “Goshu Ondo,” named for an older name for Shiga Prefecture (江州, Goshu). It is said that Kawachi Ondo is actually derived from Goshu Ondo. For these reasons, Kawachi Ondo and Goshu Ondo are often played together at bon dances all over Osaka, and Kawachi Ondo musicians are often skilled in them both.
An example of Goshu Ondo. Enjoy!
Yao City Kawachi Ondo Festival
Every year, Yao City holds the Kawachi Ondo Festival to commemorate the city as the birthplace of the song. A grand-scale, all-day Bon Odori is held, where expert singers, their bands, and dancing troupes from all around Japan show off their skills and style. Come the summer season, I'm always on the look out for bon dance venues, and I keep an ear out for Kawachi Ondo.
