Life's like that!: 36th Bon Odori Festival 2012

* scroll down towards the very end of this entry. i just updated this one with some pictures from the event*

Malaysia 36th Bon Odori Festival 2012

click HERE for better view

wah!! festival Bon Odori kali ni dah masuk yang ke 36!!

di Malaysia, festival Bon Odori disambut di dua buah negeri; Pulau Pinang dan Selangor pada setiap tahun. lokasi utama bagi Penang Bon Odori ialah di Padang Kota Lama (Esplanade), manakala di Selangor ia diadakan di Matsushita Stadium, Shah Alam.

biasanya Bon Odori menjadi tumpuan penduduk tempatan dan pelancong asing, termasuk warga Jepun yang berada di seluruh pelusuk Malaysia. walaupun terdapat banyak negara lain yang mengadakan festival bon odori ini, tumpuan tertumpu kepada obon yang disambut di Malaysia. ini kerana Bon Odori di Malaysia dikategorikan sebagai perayaan Bon Odori di luar Jepun yang terbesar di dunia!

berbeza dengan perayaan obon di Jepun, bon odori di Malaysia lebih menerapkan elemen budaya masyarakat Jepun. obon di Malaysia menyediakan lebih persembahan seperti tarian, nyanyian dan gendang Jepun.

beberapa elemen utama yang boleh kita lihat di obon ialah

pertama, gerai jualan. banyak booth, stall dan gerai dibuka sepanjang bon odori berlangsung. kebanyakkannya terdiri daripada gerai menjual makanan dan minuman, barangan kraf bercirikan jepun, cenderahati dan kedai2 permainan tradisional jepun.

kedua, persembahan sempena bon odori. satu pentas besar ditempatkan di tengah-tengah tapak festival di mana semua persembahan akan dibuat di situ. persembahan terdiri daripada nyanyian lagu2 rakyat dan klasik jepun, serta pertunjukan gendang semangat/ pahlawan. paling penting - persembahan odori, iaitu tarian.

tarian2 dipersembahkan oleh penari2 tradisional yang memang pakar dalam seni tarinya. lagu yang ditarikan ialah antaranya Tokyo Ondo, Matsuri, Sakura Ondo, dan Soran Bushi. aku tak pasti tentang sambutan di Shah Alam, tapi kalau di Penang, ada satu lagu khas dalam bahasa melayu yang dinarikan juga - lagu Rasa Sayang Hei versi klasik. memang comel. hehe.

oh ya! paling penting - semua yang hadir dijemput menari bersama mengelilingi pentas utama. bagi yang sporting dan ceria, mungkin wajah2 korang akan masuk dalam news - macam aku dan kengkawan suatu ketika dulu.. hahaha

ketiga, Hanabi. atau bunga api. setakat ni, hanya Penang Bon Odori sahaja yang mengadakan pertunjukan bunga api bagi mengakhiri obon. kalau sambutan di Shah Alam... so far belum ada sponsor... =p tak tau la kali ni kot2 ada kan.. heee~

jadi, itu serba sedikit pasal Bon Odori Festival di Malaysia. aku sarankan korang pergi la sendirik merasai kemeriahan festival ni. tak rugi! DSLR fags, sila caj betri anda, bawak lens tiga pat ketul. bagi yang nak pergi enjoice, pakailah se-selesa anda. kalau ada yukata, sila pakai. nak pakai cosplay...boleh. tapi.. biar senonoh sket ye. hee~

chotto! sebelom terlupa. sila bawak duit. banyak2. aku jamin korang akan nyesal kalo tak bawak duit secukopnya.. hehe~~

bagi korang yang berhajat nak pegi, ni details Bon Odori Festival 2012;

tarikh : 14 Julai 2012

masa : 5.00 p.m - 10.00 p.m

venue : Panasonic Sports Complex, Lot No 4, Persiaran Perkilangan Seksyen 21, Shah Alam, Selangor.

GPS : +3° 3' 25.19", +101° 32' 49.38"

Malaysia 36th Bon Odori Festival 2012

click HERE for better view

*Free Admission.
** Free Shuttle Bus disediakan dari stesen KTM Shah Alam ke stadium dari jam 4.00 pm - 11.00 pm.

(better naik public kalau taknak bersesak-sesak dengan parking dan trafik)

see you there!!

*****

UPDATED

yatta!! 36th Bon Odori festival was awesome!!!

i reached there at 5.00 pm something like that. and there were already people cramming the place like a slumber party!! hahaha

entrance booth at the Bon Odori

went there by car. luckily i was early, so i managed to get a spot in the panasonic's parking lot. it was a sunny day - like the years before. gladfully. well they say some monks launched a prayer for the sky to be clear till the end of the day. im not quite sure how far the truth is... or was. but, yeah it was sunny and windy all day long. ^^

the 36th Bon Odori festival was celebrated in conjunction with Malaysia-Japan 30th anniversary of "Look East policy" which was inspired by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia.

this was my first time celebrating Bon Odori in Shah Alam. previously, for 7 consecutive years, i participated in the festival held in Penang. from such experiences, i had many things in mind to relate and compare between the two venues.

children in yukata, at Bon Odori

there were differences and similarities, though. similarities - i'd say the attractions. obviously, the food stalls, the booths that sell japanese stuff, and the performances. yet, they were somewhat differed by the choice of songs, and dances. and dancers!!

for Penang Bon Odori, normally they have 3 must-dance songs for the festival. as far as i can remember, they usually play and dance to the Tokyo Ondo, Sakura Ondo, and Rasa Sayang Hei. not forgetting, the Soran Bushi as a powerful song to balance the other folk songs.

Wadaiko Shio drums practice session

for this particular 36th Bon Odori festival in Shah Alam, they played Dai Tokyo Ondo, Ohisama Ondo, and Tokyo Ondo. (there's another song but i forgot the title.. hehe~~) they didn't have the soran bushi, however - they put a great drum performance - Wadaiko Shio Drums, led by Nakamishi-san - with the heart-pumping beats by the Malay Gendang Sembilan, Chinese Drums and Bhangra Drums shows as a symbolic for Malaysian unity.

planned to wear my yukata for the event. however, i changed my mind. instead, i wore jinbei! good decision i'd say, because of the weather. it was hot and humid .. and i participated along the dances full time!! berpeluh beb... hahaha. needless superfluousness of words; enjoy the pics! till we meet again , 37th Bon Odori!!!