Photography Community, Sharing, Blog

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. After so many years, this custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves. It is very similar to our Chinese custom, Qingming Festival. Obon been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.

There are several traditional dances in Japan, but "Bon Odori" dance is the most famous and common. People dance Bon Dance in the Bon Festival, and in every year, in Malaysia, there will be 2 events held in Shah Alam and Penang. The one that I attend last Saturday, 17-July was held at Panasonic Sports Complex. Bon Odori Shah Alam is an annual event that organized by The Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur.

We started our journey at 3:45PM with Federal Highway and managed to reach the place around 4:45 PM due to traffic jam. To reach the destination, it was pretty simple, just after the first Shah Alam Toll, then once you saw Batu Tiga KTM station on your left, exit the highway by turn left and heading to Batu Tiga. Just go straight until you reach the Batu Tiga roundabout and U-turn back there. Panasonic Sports Complex is just a bit after the U-turn. Although we reach very early but the place already full of cars, after parked our car, we had to walk around 10 minutes. So imagine if you reached late, you really need to walk very far.

Distributing Bon Odori Paper Fan

Since the gate opening was around 5PM, hence we were just in time. As usual, you would be given a paper fan on the entrance. If you like, you can request few fans from them like SW did. The front design of the paper fan is same but on the back, it was a advertisement from the sponsors.

Once you by pass the entrance, there were a lot of food stalls that allow you to taste Japanese food and drinks. You could find Japanese beer Asahi, green tea, Japanese ice-creams, sushi, ramen and etc. This area was packed that time, maybe everyone was hungry and get their stomach filled before the show start.

Japanese Desserts Stall, Uji Kin Toki Ice Kacang

 

Sushi King, each plate cost your RM 4, feel not really worth




We also bought some sushi and a Teppanyaki set then walked toward the stage. Most of the peoples just sit on the green field beside to having their Japanese dinner, actually was not allowed.

This was the main stage area

We were doing the same as well. For me, as usual, will eye on any interesting target that walked pass by with the street photography skill that recently learned.

On 6:30PM, the dancers and drummers, line up and entering to the stage, with fast action we moved and got a nice angle for my shooting. So, if you intent to go for photo shooting, make sure you went early. I saw one photographer, he even brought a flip chair for him to stand that allow him to shoot easily.

Drummer boys entering the stage, handsome and cute?

Dancer Ladies..the one on left smile lovely

On sharp 7PM, after the opening speech was given, the Bon Odori dance started.

 

 

Beside the dance on the stage, the crowd also danced outside, if not mistaken, these are some Japanese Dancers to lead the public to dance together.

Sky turned dark at 8PM, and we decided to go back before the massive jam happened.

As a conclusion, this is a nice event for you to hang out every years, just to feel the Japanese culture there, because not all of us got chance to visit Japan. While for the food, slightly expensive, but you can find a lot of rare Japanese food there.