My second night in Okinawa, I awakened to some very curious noises: a twangy plucking, drums and voices that ranged somewhere between wailing and chanting. At first, this cacophony (and that’s what I decided it was at 11 o’clock at night) was at a distance, but then it seemed it was directly outside our apartment. The tune, once I discerned that there was a tune, was actually quite infectious and the next morning, when I recalled this nocturnal parade, I thought I might like to hear more.
As it turned out, I would have the opportunity: my arrival in Japan coincided with the holiday of Obon, a Japanese-Buddhist celebration honoring the spirits of their ancestors. Much like American Memorial Day, Obon is a time of family gatherings, visits to tombs and other activities that pay respect to deceased family members. Part of Obon, one that I had experienced in the night, is dancing both in parades and festivals around Japan. Each different region has its own special form of music and dance, and eisa is the name of the traditional folk dance of Okinawa.
Eisa is now performed for entertainment, but for centuries it served as a religious service to memorialize the ancestors of Okinawan villages. The troupes performing eisa are made up of about 20-30 young people who wear brightly colored costumes. The men typically dance, play drums and the sanshin (the plucky instrument) and chant, while the women dance and sing. Eisa is something that is taught in schools, so many of the dancers have been familiar with the tradition since a very young age.
After the next night, when the eisa dancers again paraded under our balcony (and Matt and I ran out to watch), I became a fan of eisa. There is such an energy to the movements of the dancers and the unique way the instruments and voices sound together – something that is at first odd to Western ears, but then begins to make sense. I was very happy when I learned that over the weekend, there would be an eisa festival held at a stadium near our apartment. Matt and I went and enjoyed performances by two eisa groups. We were able to stand down on the field close to the action (there were reserved seats in the packed stadium) and we were quite impressed with how physically demanding the dances were, especially on the guys that both danced and carried the big drums.
If you would like to take a look at eisa, the following link will take you to a YouTube video of an eisa parade in Naha, the capital of Okinawa.
I hope you enjoy the pictures of the eisa dancers and other scenes from the All-Okinawa Eisa Festival!!!
5 comments:
a big Om Mani Padme Hum to the dead! or RIP as we would say in the states. Sounds like a cool holiday. I'd loved to have been there!
Looks like fun festival, I like the winnie the pooh aprons the servers are wearing. have fun on your trip. Mike is headed for Germany for a couple months I think, I will have to find ways to entertain the kids and myself. Blog and post pics of all fun!
I loved the Winnie the Pooh aprons, too! That's actually why I took a picture of that particular booth. Pooh and Snoopy are everywhere here - almost as much or more than Hello Kitty. I tell you - Japanese LOVE cute!
Thanks for the well wishes on my journey to see Ms. Kates. I will make sure we post a blog in your honor :). I'll be thinking of you when Mike is away, too - I'm quickly learning all about the military wife stuff :).
Oh NO! how unobservant am I? I didn't even see the winnie the pooh aprons!
My little girl charity loves hello kitty, well and anything cute. She would love japan!
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