イマジン盆踊り部

IMAGINE BONODORIBU Original Bon Odori Band In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake that devastated the country in 2011, our troupe took the world by storm when it danced in a procession to Yugyo-ji Temple in Fujisawa City—the birthplace of the Odori Nembutsu folk dance—in an effort to rally for the end of nuclear power through dance rather than a typical protest march. In September 2012, several volunteers who were enthusiasts of the traditional Bon Odori summer folk dance formed a new troupe in the coastal city of Kamakura, with the hope of transcending differences between various generations and different ways of thinking in order to unite the community. Currently, there are around 40 members with diverse backgrounds, including restaurant owners, singers, hair stylists, designers, artists, carpenters, homemakers, photographers, nurses, and many more, most of them aged in their 40s. Perhaps their greatest strength lies in the imagination, dedication, and cohesion they have demonstrated numerous times in devising and organizing various festivals and other events. In addition to the traditional Bon dance, original songs of their own composition—which imitate features common of rice harvest and other traditional working songs—have proven an effective means of enticing those with little previous interest in the genre to join their processions and the cause at large. With a live band accompanied by live vocals, their aim is to "Draw a circle of world peace through Bon Dance" and continue to spread that passion to all who embrace the same values.