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Free with general Garden admission!A highlight of summer festivals in Japan is the bon-odori (盆踊り/ Bon dance). Each region in Japan has their own version of the dance, as well as different music. In Japanese Buddhist tradition, bon-odori is a way to entertain and send off the spirits of our ancestors and celebrate life. Dancers circle the yagura, a high wooden bandstand for the musicians and singers.
At Portland Japanese Garden, dances will be taught by Chris Dart and demonstrated by dancers from Oregon Buddhist Temple. Come to learn the dances, see people dressed in yukata, and to hear and feel the sound of taiko drums.
Close up of a female dancer in yukata dancing
Dancers enjoy dancing at last year’s Bon-Odori.
Schedule
Stay tuned as the schedule and dances are still being finalized.
10:00am – 10:30am – Taiko and Shamisen Ensemble Songs by Takohachi/Kotori-Kai
10:30am – 11:00 am – First Dance set | This set will feature three traditional songs performed by Takohachi. Dances will be taught by Chris Dart and demonstrated by dancers from Oregon Buddhist Temple.
11:15am – 11:45pm – Second Dance set | This set will feature three Japanese dances from the 1980s and 1990s.
12:00pm – 12:30pm – Third Dance set | This set will feature bon dances popular in the United States.
Thanks to the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Toshiba International Foundation for their support of arts and cultural programming.
Portland Japanese Garden would like to thank The Miller Foundation and Toshiba International Foundation for their support of arts and culture programming.
More information: https://japanesegarden.org/events/bon-odori-summer-festival-2025/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, United States, Oregon 97205
