Bon Odori Project

The Bon Odori Project is an opportunity for K-12 schools in Minnesota to bring their students an interactive cultural experience.  “Bon Odori” is a Japanese tradition, a folk dance performed during the Obon festival that is held across Japan every summer.  There are many different dances of this tradition throughout Japan and typically reflect the culture of the local community.  With this in mind, the Minnesota Bon Odori was created by taking the musical and dance tradition of the Japanese Bon Odori and combining it with a theme unique to Minnesota.  This cross-cultural work allows students to have a truly cross-cultural experience, combining a Japanese tradition with themes from their own culture and daily lives.

Students that have participated in the Bon Odori Project were enthralled with the performance, and eager to participate.  Teachers informed us they felt this enabled the children to catch the spirit of this Japanese tradition and relate to Japanese culture in a fun, active way.  It is JASM’s hope that this will give these students an open mind to different cultural experiences, and encourage young people with an interest in Japan.

The Minnesota Bon Odori group is a collaboration of JASM and the three artistic groups Mu Performing Arts (Mu-Daiko drum group), Mikaharu-kai Dance Group, and the Mu-Min Chorus.  Their efforts to share their love of song and dance with students have created a truly unique experience that we hope will continue to inspire and inform at schools throughout Minnesota.

For more information, please check out the Bon Odori Project Flyer.

If you wish to bring the Bon Odori Project to your own school, please contact JASM at 612.627.9357 or at jasm@us-japan.org.