Iconic Bon Dance Festival Starts in Gifu Pref.; Govt Designates Event as Intangible Folk-Cultural Asset

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:56 JST, July 14, 2024

GUJO, Gifu — Gujo Odori, one of the iconic Bon season dance festivals that honors ancestral spirits, opened in Gujo, Gifu Prefecture, on Saturday night.

People dressed in yukata gathered at the Gujo Hachiman old city hall square to enjoy the dance, making sounds with their geta wooden flip-flops.

The latest edition of the dance festival, which has been designated by the central government as an important intangible folk-cultural asset, runs through Sept. 7. From Aug. 13 to Aug. 16, the all-night dance will be held, with participants dancing until dawn.

The Gujo Odori, which dates back to the Edo period (1603-1867), was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022 as part of traditional Furyu-odori, which are ritual dances seen throughout the nation.